Today’s opposition day debate, put forward by Labour, has successfully resulted in the national declaration of a climate change emergency.
The motion, which stems from calls made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sought to avoid global warming of more than 1.5°C and to achieve zero net emissions by 2050.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“We in Portsmouth will disproportionately feel the wrath of climate degradation and it is essential we treat this as a matter of urgency
The decision made by parliamentarians comes weeks after Portsmouth Labour led a similar motion at local authority level.
With a manifesto that takes climate policy seriously, across the nation, Labour is the party of environmental change.”
The government’s environmental performance so far has been poor. They have effectively banned the cheapest form of renewables, new onshore wind, resulting in a 94% decline in that sector.
The Solar Trade Association has also reported catastrophic declines in the deployment of solar panels, relaying that there has been a 90% drop since 2016 and Portsmouth has seen first hand how the government is failing to tackle emissions in the transport sector.
On a solution to these ongoing problems, the Portsmouth MP has said:
“When it comes to climate change we need to see action rather than discussion.
That’s why I support the Labour policies to implement a Green Industrial Revolution that would see at least 60% of the UK’s energy from renewable and low carbon sources by 2030, upgrade and invest our flexible energy networks and straight away ban fracking.
This Green Industrial Revolution will not only tackle climate change, it will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and transform whole regions of the UK that have been held back by regressive government policy”.
Of particular interest to Portsmouth is climate change initiatives that seek to tackle environmental degradation resulting from the transport sector.
The city has dangerously high levels of air pollution resulting from underinvestment in local public transport and a history of Lib Dem inaction.
On transport and climate change Mr Morgan added:
“Emissions from the transport sector are higher now than they were in 2010, funding for buses has been slashed in real terms by £654 million per year and the government has shown a complete disregard for active travel by offering almost no investment as part of their Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy.
In contrast, Labour will revolutionise active travel by spending £10 per head on cycling and walking schemes, overhaul the bus services and reinstate routes scrapped by Tories to foster an environment that makes green travel easier and have pledged £200m to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
It is obvious that Labour is the natural home for those who care about their city and their environment.”
The declaration of a climate change emergency comes following school strikes, direct action from pressure groups, advice from the Climate Change Committee and calls from experts.
Labour have listened to these concerns and showing that they are willing to lead from the front when it comes to climate change.
