TALATON PARISH COUNCIL
SUPPORTS THE CLIMATE & ECOLOGY BILL
The Climate & Ecology Bill, a private member’s bill currently before the House of Commons, seeks to address the challenges that this situation poses by creating a whole-of-government approach to deliver a net zero and nature positive future.
Based on the latest science, the Bill aims to align current UK environmental policy with the need to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, which was goal agreed to at COP15, via the Kunming-Montreal Framework (22 December 2022); and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with a fair share of the remaining global carbon budget to give the strongest chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C, which was the goal agreed to at COP21, via the Paris Agreement (12 December 2015).
By bridging the gap between the UK Government’s current delivery, and what has been agreed at international levels, Britain has a chance to be a world leader on the environment; seizing the opportunities of the clean energy transition, including green jobs and reduced energy bills; and boosting the UK’s food and energy security.
Talaton Parish Council notes that:
The Climate and Ecology Bill, which has been introduced in the UK Parliament on four occasions since 2020, including most recently in the House of Commons 10 May 2023, is backed by [168] cross-party MPs and Peers, [237] local authorities, alongside the support of eminent scientists, such as Sir David King; environmental NGOs, such as The Wildlife Trusts and CPRE; businesses, such as The Co-operative Bank; and 30,000 members of the public.
The Bill would require the UK Government to develop and deliver a new environmental strategy, which would include:
- Delivering a joined-up environmental plan, as the crises in climate and nature are deeply intertwined, requiring a plan that considers both together;
- Reducing emissions in line with 1.5°C, ensure emissions are reduced rapidly, for the best chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C;
- Not only halting, but also reversing the decline in nature, setting nature measurably on the path to recovery by 2030;
- Taking responsibility for our overseas footprint, both emissions and ecological;
- Prioritising nature in decision-making, and ending fossil fuel production and imports as rapidly as possible;
- Ensuring that no-one is left behind, by providing for retraining for people currently working in fossil fuel industries; and
- Giving people a say in finding a fair way forward through an independent and temporary Climate & Nature Assembly, representative of the UK population, an essential tool for bringing public opinion along with the unprecedented pace of change required.
At the meeting of Full Council on Wednesday 6th December 2023, Talaton Parish Council resolved to support the Climate and Ecology Bill and write to Simon Jupp MP to inform him that this motion has been passed, urging him to sign up to support the CE Bill (if he had not already done so). Members also resolved to write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the CE Bill, expressing its support (campaign@zerohour.uk).