2020 was a pretty bad year, and not because of the Covid-19 epidemic.

It was also the worst hurricane season in north and central America, the largest forest fires to date in California, the Amazon, Siberia, and Indonesia, ice caps melting at an alarming rate.

Two years ago, the UN announced that if serious steps to curb climate change are not adopted, the world will be facing climate change by 2030.

All the more reason to call for Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE) to be put into law.

The CEE is calling for:

A serious plan to deal with the UK’s fair share of emissions and to halt critical rises in global temperatures. Our entire carbon budget has to be taken into account, emissions produced in the UK and also those from goods consumed in the UK which are produced overseas.

The active conservation and restoration of nature, here and overseas.

That those in power do not depend on future technologies that do not exist yet and could be used as an excuse to carry on polluting.

Ordinary people to have a real say in the right way forward via a citizens’ assembly.

And why is the CEE Bill necessary? This Government is far too slow in dealing with climate change.

In July 2019, the Committee for Climate Change published a report which stated that of the 25 policies which the CCC had stressed were absolutely vital, just one had been fulfilled - the continuation of the carbon tax on power stations after Brexit.

Lord Debden, the Chair of the CCC (aka John Gummer, Secretary of State for the Environment 1993 to 1997) was of the opinion that the UK’s climate policy was being run like “Dad’s Army”, and that if this persists government ministers could be sued, as this was a threat to the whole population of this country.

The Government’s latest ten-point plan is wholly inadequate. It concentrates on false solutions - nuclear which is disproportionately expensive, and hydrogen, which could easily end up being made from fossil fuels.

Other policies in the ten-point plan are far too little and ineffective as far too little money has been allocated - see plans for forestation and the budget for insulating buildings.

Furthermore, there is no mention of giving sufficient funding and powers to local authorities. This is strange as almost all initiatives on climate change have come from local authorities.

As the Government’s record to date is far from satisfactory, passing the CEE Bill is vital to pushing the Government into doing its share to prevent runaway climate change.

Phil Fletcher

Sopwell Lane, St Albans