Climate and environment emergency - Thangam Debbonaire

Parliament’s chance to deal with the climate emergency

I am proud to represent a constituency where people passionately care about the crisis affecting the climate and the natural world. I was pleased to see climate become the main focus of the UN General Assembly this week. This is progress. But our government is still stuck in an outdated…

ONLINE EVENT: Political solutions to the climate and ecological emergency

A lot of people in Bristol West contact me about the climate and ecological emergency. I believe these linked crises are the most urgent problems we face. As the UK has a unique leadership opportunity at COP26 this year, it is even more important that we raise our voices now. …

New climate report should shake this sleepy government into action

The new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is both terrifying and heartbreaking. There is no doubt we are causing climate breakdown. Some damage to our planet is now irreversible, at least within our lifetimes, according to the work of thousands of researchers. We can avoid the worst,…

Are you worried about the climate crisis? Talk to me this summer

Even if you don’t see yourself as an environmentalist, I am very interested to hear your views and concerns about climate change. I am organising a series of events to speak to as many Bristol West residents as possible about the climate crisis. It will also be an opportunity for…

What the PM and ministers could learn from England’s football team

The Prime Minister and the government could learn a lot from the Gareth Southgate School of Leadership. The England players and manager exemplify the best of British values. They stand up to racism and inequality. They succeed through hard work and discipline. And they are able to learn from their…

Tackling the climate and ecological emergency

Tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis are top priorities for people in Bristol West and the highest priorities for me as your MP. Tackling the emergency is vital for our long-term future but also helps with building the sustainable economy with good jobs for people in Bristol and beyond.…

Bristol: What do you want from COP26?

Tackling the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis is one of my top priorities as Bristol West MP and as Shadow Housing Secretary. Housing contributes 14% of our carbon emissions, so we need low/zero carbon housing if we are to reach net-zero That’s why I challenge the government to cut carbon…

Efficient housing can drive a green economic recovery

Last month Labour launched a report on a green economic recovery for the UK (for housing proposals see p.14-16), showing how we intend to recover from the current economic crisis by investing in green jobs and technologies. Replacing windows, lagging lofts and insulating walls are all labour intensive, semi-skilled tasks.…

Zero carbon homes are more important than ever

Today Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick claimed that his is committed to climate-friendly, zero carbon homes, even though his own target falls far short of this important standard. Their new ‘Future Homes Standard’ aims to cut current emissions by 75-80% by 2025 – hardly the ambition or urgency needed to respond…

The climate emergency demands global leadership from the UK

Many of you have contacted me about the climate and ecological emergency, and the proposed Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill. The campaigning urgency and creativity as well as the focus and energy of the people of Bristol West to halt climate change and repair our planet’s diversity always inspire me…

We cannot forget the climate crisis

While we find our way through one crisis, we cannot forget another, potentially catastrophic crisis we are living through. I am glad that people in Bristol are still keeping the pressure up. Climate change is extremely urgent and cannot wait until we have fixed the current public health emergency. Many…

We need a dedicated Department of Climate Change

I’ve recently met many school students, including those at St Bonaventure’s Primary School and at the School Strike for Climate demonstration in the centre of Bristol, who have demanded that the government makes climate change a top priority. One way of doing this, and suggested by students, is for the…

My speech at the School Strike 4 Climate

I was so inspired to join Kerry McCarthy to speak to a huge crowd on College Green today at the School Strike 4 Climate rally – all sharing a passion to stop climate change and protect our planet for the future. If the government took the suggestions of the young people gathered today –…

The Prime Minister must set the record straight on climate change

It is vital that government ministers speak accurately about our political and legal processes, and that if they make mistakes, they make every effort to correct the record. It matters even more when that member of the government is the Prime Minister. Yet repeatedly, Theresa May has failed to issue…

To halt climate change, the new Prime Minister must back up words with actions

I kicked off Prime Minister’s Questions this week by asking Theresa May whether she agreed that the new Prime Minister – whoever he is – should introduce an Environment and Climate Change bill as their first action in government. The Prime Minister agreed with me that halting climate change and…

Climate change is a clear and present danger – it demands action now

Climate change is a clear and present danger worldwide, threatening our beautiful planet and everyone on it. That’s why it was one of the first things I spoke about in Parliament – it featured in my maiden speech (the first speech I ever made in Parliament). It has remained a…

Our carbon reduction ambitions must reflect the reality of our consumption

Following the latest EU Council, I asked the Prime Minister about how we can embed the ‘consumer principle’ in European policy about climate change. The government have finally heeded Labour’s call that we are living under the threat of a climate change emergency. Yet the ambition to cut UK greenhouse…

Climate emergency: We need more bike lanes and vehicle charging points

Parliament has voted to acknowledge that climate change and environmental degradation are an emergency. This is important. I have been demanding the government take this step for some time. But the big question is whether the government will now turn this commitment into action. I recently asked Transport Secretary Chris…

Climate emergency: Parliament must get its own house in order

While Parliament has voted to declare a climate emergency, Parliament’s pension fund is still propping up fossil energy through investments in coal and gas. This must change. Yesterday I spoke in a debate calling for the fund to divest from these polluting energy sources. Pensions are designed to look after…

Extinction Rebellion are right: This is an emergency

The state of our planet is back in the spotlight at last and about time too. But until the government acknowledge that it is an emergency, we will not move fast enough to solve this problem. The environment is being degraded at a startling rate. We have lost 60% of…

Sounding the alarm for the climate

I will keep asking the same question until the government takes this seriously. This is the second time this week I have asked Climate Change Minister Claire Perry to recognise that we are living through a climate emergency and to take real action to address it. The scale of the…