As part of a nationwide action, volunteers supporting the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE), on Friday 26 March, hosted Covid-compliant nationwide banner drops calling on their MP to back the CEE Bill.
Volunteers messaged their Members of Parliament saying that we need stronger environmental action. We’re seeing endless reports coming out, many from the Government’s own committees, highlighting that Boris Johnson isn’t going far enough to tackle the climate and ecological emergency. Many Labour MPs support the aims of the Bill, but fall short of supporting it as they see it as a symbolic act rather than offering a serious and necessary piece of legislation.
Many areas in the country are set to disappear below sea-level regularly by 2050. Our home will be flooded. Slow and unambitious action on climate changes does nothing to prevent this happening. In London, we have been fighting against the construction of the Silvertown Tunnel, which will add over 150,000 tons of carbon in the atmosphere and increase air pollution, with thousands of new HGV trucks journeys made each day in an already congested area. Hundreds of mature trees are being felled to make way for the construction. Who is going to suffer? All of us, and particularly young people who are in the 40 schools directly affected by air pollution on the Greenwich peninsula alone. We are also fighting the expansion of City Airport, and Heathrow Airport which would be a disastrous blow. We want our grandchildren to live clean and healthy lives. We want health and wellbeing to be key drivers for change towards a sustainable future, and that means protecting our ecology and nature.
Caroline Lucas MP presented the CEE Bill in Parliament on 2 September 2020. The Bill was scheduled for debate in the House of Commons on Friday 26 March, but the pandemic impacted parliamentary process postponing the second reading. The Bill is currently waiting for a new date to be set, but whatever happens, the CEE Bill will have a very low chance of progressing in this Parliament due to the sheer volume of private members’ bills lined up, further delaying the urgent action that’s required to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.
The CEE Bill is supported by over 100 MPs from eight political parties – including Labour, SNP, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens. The Bill calls on the Government to take account of the UK’s entire carbon footprint, to protect nature in the UK and to prevent ecological damage along supply chains. It also establishes a citizens’ assembly to ensure that these changes are achieved in a fair and just way.
In 2019, the Government committed to a legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050. However, earlier this month, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reported that Ministers still don’t have a coordinated strategy to achieve its aim.
The CEE Bill is the only legislative plan before MPs that aims to tackle the climate-nature crisis at the speed and scale that science demands. The Bill sets out a viable roadmap for the UK to play its full and fair role in restoring nature and limiting its emissions. With eight months to go before the UK hosts the vital UN climate conference, COP26, in Glasgow, the CEE Bill represents Boris Johnson’s last best opportunity of having a serious and comprehensive plan to tackle the greatest challenge humanity faces.
Kate Osamor MP is a staunch supporter of the bill. We are inviting those North London MPs who are not yet supporting to have a discussion with their constituents about the CEE Bill.
We cannot wish the problem away. Every passing day is a day lost and a day nearer the point of no return, but certainly more difficult and costly to mitigate. So this in itself is rendering inaction as an economic madness as well.
