Dear Anthony
On the Government’s own projections, the UK is set to miss the 6th carbon budget and our Paris commitment by a huge margin. We will be approximately 100 per cent over the 6th carbon budget! You have said that work is ‘underway’, but that work clearly falls far short of what’s required. You can see from the gradient of the BEIS emissions projections, that progress is stalling.
We are very close to the window of opportunity closing for limiting warming to 1.5°C. In fact, on this trajectory, UK emissions are consistent with global heating of over 2°C, which would threaten collapse of global food supply chains as well as triggering unprecedented waves of migration. 2°C means crossing critical tipping points and risking an unstoppable spiral of global heating.
I do appreciate the energy you’re putting into regenerative agriculture, but this wider issue is so critical to our future. And the Government’s approach plainly is not working. Half-hearted attempts to tackle this existential challenge are just not enough.
The CEE Bill in contrast, offers a framework to help put us on track, to make our fair share of the cuts needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. The climate & nature assembly it would convene (which at all times remains subservient to parliament) is the perfect mechanism to rapidly bring the public on board with the changes needed. The legally-binding nature of the CEE Bill will prevent our efforts being derailed by the lobbying power of oil and gas interests. The Bill would serve as a blueprint for other governments around the world to follow: leadership by example – vitally important whilst we retain the COP presidency.
With change in the air, I urge you please to declare your support for the CEE Bill. If there are elements in the Bill you do not like, I ask you to engage constructively – let’s work together to find a solution. The current Climate Change Act 2008 also started out as a private members bill, and was adopted by the Government once enough backbenchers like you supported it.
We are on an incredibly dangerous path. You have a voice in parliament and are one of a tiny number of people with the power to put us on a safer trajectory. There really is no time to waste, no putting this off. There’s no denying this is a difficult challenge, but we are counting on you to rise to it.
All the best
Simon
Simon Oldridge
Staverton, Devon
