Tony Lloyd MP is one of 65 cross-party Members of Parliament to co-sign an Early Day Motion (EDM) which welcomes the presentation of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill and calls for the Government to play its fair and proper role in tackling climate change.
 
Tony Lloyd said: “This Bill is significant in drawing attention to an issue where we do need a change in the law.
 
“Flash floods, deadly landslides and wildfires are things we have seen over recent years, and it is clear that climate breakdown is not a distant threat but something that is happening here and now.
 
“The Government is set to miss its own targets to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and the UN has reported that we have less than ten years to avoid the worst impacts of catastrophic climate change.
 
“We must act with far greater urgency and ambition and show global leadership on this issue by investing in the green industries of the future, and support workers and communities as we make the transition to a low-carbon and socially-just economy.
 
“By doing this, we can raise our domestic climate ambition with a significantly enhanced 2030 emissions reduction target and demonstrate real leadership as the host of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow next year.”
 
The Bill, which was drafted by expert scientists, lawyers and academics, and sets a viable pathway for the UK to follow by:

• Requiring the Government to ensure that the UK reduces greenhouse gas emissions in line with its legally-binding international obligations to limit global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels
• Requiring the Government to protect and restore habitats, woodlands, wetlands and the wider natural world
• Establishing a representative Citizens’ Assembly to involve people from all parts of the UK in deciding which policies are needed to avoid irreversible environmental damage.

 
Dr. Amy McDonnell, from the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance, said: “The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that any increase above 1.5°C will have disastrous effects on our planet, causing sea levels to rise, the loss of homes for millions of people and irreversible damage to Earth’s natural systems. 
 
“The Bill is the UK’s best and last chance to meet the Paris Agreement 1.5°C commitment and limit the impact of catastrophic climate change.
 
“Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow next November (COP 26), MPs must ensure that Britain fulfils its international obligations and prevent runaway climate change. 

”All of us need to be involved in choosing the best solutions, and that’s why a Citizens’ Assembly is essential.”
 
—END—

Notes

About the CEE Bill 

The CEE Bill has been developed with members of the successful ‘Big Ask’ campaign – which led to the Climate Change Act 2008 – and contributions from eminent scientists, academics, lawyers. 

The campaign for the CEE Bill launched in August 2020 and the Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 2 September by Caroline Lucas MP, supported by MPs from six parties.

Useful links: the CEE Bill text; Early Day Motion 832; a briefing note on the CEE Bill; and an executive summary on the CEE Bill.

www.ceebill.uk

For media enquiries about the CEE Bill, and to arrange interviews with CEE Bill Alliance spokespeople, contact press@ceebill.uk. Spokespeople include Dr. Amy McDonnell (Bill architect), Dr. Charlie Gardner (expert contributor, University of Kent) and Anna  Hyde (citizens’ assemblies).