Remember when David Cameron hugged a husky in the Arctic?
Well, it was ten years ago on Wednesday and WWF – the NGO that arranged his trip – isn’t about to let him forget it.
Since 2006, it has served as a stick for greens to beat the UK prime minister with; a symbol of how far he fell short of his promise to lead “the greenest government ever”.
WWF-UK head of climate Emma Pinchbeck hasn’t given up hope. In a statement released to coincide with the anniversary, she said: “David Cameron can still show he meant it in 2006.
“Last year, the UK helped broker a strong climate agreement in Paris. In 2016 a bold plan of action from the UK on carbon reduction will send a strong signal to the markets, the public and the body politic that ‘going green’ is not a slogan, but an economic necessity.”
Analysis: Why did PM promise to lead the ‘greenest government ever’?
The wildlife charity listed ten things that had happened in the Arctic over the past decade, none of them good. These included plummeting caribou and polar bear populations, record high temperatures and the first commercial oil drilling.
Meanwhile, the UK government has cut nearly every climate policy going. Energy minister Amber Rudd is due to announce new measures by the end of the year.
If Cameron wants to salvage a green legacy, that would be a good place to start.