While it would be easy to use my column this month to discuss leadership campaigns (apparently there’s more than one taking place), I want to talk about something much more important; our environment.
It may have been drowned out by the current media scrum but last week our Government announced new legislation to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. This is great news.
The UK was the first country to implement legally binding emission reduction targets in the Climate Change Act 2008, and this legislation makes the UK the first leading economy to implement net zero as well.
I am a proud member of the Conservative Environment Network Caucus of MPs, which has consistently pushed for a net zero commitment from the Government and this announcement will safeguard our natural environment, improve public health, air quality and biodiversity, and promote clean-tech jobs.
By enshrining this target into law, the Prime Minister has shown that the UK can and will meet the challenges of climate change and be one of the first countries in the world to commit to play our part to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Implementing a net zero emissions target means that electricity, transport and heating will need to use alternative energy sources to fossil fuels to decarbonise. However, in some industries like aviation and shipping which are especially relevant of course here in south Hampshire, some emissions will remain. Therefore increased tree planting and carbon capture technologies will be utilised to remove these emissions from the atmosphere - thus leading to ‘net zero’.
So many constituents, especially young people from local schools, have called on us to do more to tackle climate change, so I’m delighted about this news.
As I said in the House of Commons, it is a move that will be heard around the world and warmly welcomed among my constituents. And I am clear, we should see this as a way of gaining something not giving it away. The opportunities, I called for a new Green Deal around retrofitting of existing housing recently, are huge and we need to grab them with both hands.
As for the rest of the world, Britain should lead by example which is why I am backing a bid to bring The 2020 Global Climate Change Summit (COP26) here. This will be a crucial moment for the future of our planet so if you want to back my petition, please follow the Green Winchester link below.
Among the young people I had in mind while writing this are the students of Kings’ School in Winchester who I welcomed to Parliament on World Environment Day recently to award them Plastic Free Schools status, an initiative of the excellent Surfers Against Sewage. I am already making plans to visit the school in the near future so I can see for myself the work they are doing and discuss how I can support them to do more.
Finally, good news for cyclists and walkers via the energetic Cllr Judith Grajewski as Hampshire County Council announced a new route which links Chandler’s Ford to Southampton. The £1.14 million scheme will see a three metre wide, 2km-long off-road shared use cycle/footway along Hut Hill, linking Chandler’s Ford to Chilworth. This is already a major cycle route and linking to the top of The Avenue in Southampton is great news for Chandler’s Ford and all cyclists across the area.
Much more on all of this at www.greenwinchester.com from where you can also follow various GW social media profiles.
Steve Brine MP
