Caroline met with a number of contituents earlier today as part The Climate Coalition's mass lobby of Parliament. Here's her thoughts on the day:
Earlier today I met several Brighton constituents who came to Westminster as part of the mass climate lobby organised by The Climate Coalition. It was great to see them after I came out of Prime Minister Questions where I pressed for the Parliamentary Pension Fund to divest from coal.
Today’s lobby couldn’t be more timely. Only this week it was revealed that Britain is on course to miss our renewable energy target, one of only a handful of EU countries projected to be lagging behind [1]. At the very same time as missing this crucial target the Government is ploughing ahead with plans to open up our countryside to fracking by fast tracking test drilling planning applications. Indeed this week even the Pope’s been worrying about climate change!
The demands of today’s climate lobbyists are eminently sensible. They include asking for commitments to a long-term renewables investment plan, ending unabated coal burning in the UK by 2023 and stepping up on the international stage with a pledge that richer countries like ours will both decarbonise at home and support others in doing so.
What the people I met today explained, and what the Government seems unable to fathom, is that investing in solutions to climate change will benefit all of us - immediately and for years to come. An ambitious energy conservation programme, for example, would help end the scandal of cold homes and cut people’s energy bills. It’s a no-brainer for our economy, jobs and public finances too: returning £1.27 in tax revenue for every £1 invested by government and create over 100,000 jobs in the UK [3].
But a commitment to invest more in renewables and efficiency isn’t enough. It’s also crucial that that Ministers get their heads around a very simple, very pertinent fact: if we’re serious about protecting what we love from the worst impacts of climate change, we must leave the vast majority of fossil fuel reserves in the ground. When faced with this stark realisation it’s astonishing that many in Government are so keen to push forward with plans to get as much oil and gas out of the ground as possible, while cutting support for onshore wind.
In the face of a government seemingly wedded to a fossil fuelled future it fantastic to see so many people who are willing to take action on climate change. The thousands of people who came to Wesminster today are only the tip of the iceberg. Others, such as those aiming to repower the Sussex village of Balcombe with renewable energy, show an understanding of another key facet of an energy system fit for the future: decentralisation and democratisation. Indeed in my own home town of Brighton co-operatives called BHESCo and Brighton Energy Coop are leading the way in financing and installing community power generation - the electricity and the financial benefits flow to local people, not profit hungry multinational corporations.
It was fantastic to see so many people in Westminster today – taking real action on the most pressing issue of our times. In the coming weeks and months I’ll making sure that the voice of the climate movement continues to be heard loud and clear in the chamber of the House of Commons.
[1] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/16/uk-misses-eus-interim-renewables-target
[3] www.energybillrevolution.org/
Join The Discussion