Opposition day on Wednesday, 1 May 2019, in the House of Commons, led by Jeremy Corbyn. The answering members were David Drew and Lord Gove.

Environment and Climate Change

Nineteenth opposition day debate. Motion that this House declares an environment and climate emergency following the finding of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change that to avoid a more than 1.5°C rise in global warming, global emissions would need to fall by around 45 per cent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero by around 2050; recognises the devastating impact that volatile and extreme weather will have on UK food production, water availability, public health and through flooding and wildfire damage; notes that the UK is currently missing almost all of its biodiversity targets, with an alarming trend in species decline, and that cuts of 50 per cent to the funding of Natural England are counterproductive to tackling those problems; calls on the Government to increase the ambition of the UK's climate change targets under the Climate Change Act 2008 to achieve net zero emissions before 2050, to increase support for and set ambitious, short-term targets for the roll-out of renewable and low carbon energy and transport, and to move swiftly to capture economic opportunities and green jobs in the low carbon economy while managing risks for workers and communities currently reliant on carbon intensive sectors; and further calls on the Government to lay before the House within the next six months urgent proposals to restore the UK's natural environment and to deliver a circular, zero waste economy. Debate interrupted for Speaker's Statement on the result of the recall petition for Fiona Onasanya.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 659 cc225-309
Session: 2017-19
Department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Proceeding contributions: John Bercow | 659 c225 (Link to this contribution)
I must inform the House that I have not selected either of the amendments.
1.47 pm; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c225 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move,
That this House declares an environment and climate emergency following the ...; Catherine West | 659 c225 (Link to this contribution)
As my right hon. Friend’s constituency neighbour, I congratulate him on, many years ago, giving u...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c225 (Link to this contribution)
I fear that my hon. Friend has unwittingly provoked lots of strange thought processes among Conse...; Andy Slaughter | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
At the opposite extreme to my right hon. Friend’s bicycle, the largest source of carbon emissions...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Obviously, aircraft emissions are one of the major ...; Sarah Wollaston | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman and fellow cyclist for giving way. Does he agree with the young ...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate the hon. Member for Totnes (Dr Wollaston), who represents an absolutely wonderful ...; John Bercow | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I gently ask the right hon. Gentleman to face the House so we can all hear him.; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
Mr Speaker, you are absolutely the last person I would want to be offensive to, so I apologise. W...; Ed Davey | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
How the right hon. Gentleman is proceeding with his Brexit policy is interesting and will be note...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman makes a fair point. In a former life, I was a trade union organiser and ...; Caroline Lucas | 659 c226 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome that Labour is now following the Green party lead in calling for a climate emergency, b...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
Indeed, what we need is a sustainable energy policy and I will come on to that. I obviously pay t...; 659 c227 (Link to this contribution); Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
I will give way a couple more times but then I ought to get on with my speech, or else the Speake...; Colin Clark | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
On that point about fossil fuels, does the right hon. Gentleman recognise what natural gas has do...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
We want a sustainable energy policy in this country. I did not hear all of the hon. Gentleman’s i...; Catherine McKinnell | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend share my concern about the lack of urgency in the Government’s own targ...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
The whole point of today’s debate is to declare an emergency to focus the attention of all of us ...; Mary Creagh | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
I give way to the Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee.; Mary Creagh | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on declaring an environment and climate emergency. Did he see...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c227 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention, the work her Committee does and the report it produ...; 659 c228 (Link to this contribution); Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c228 (Link to this contribution)
I am going to make some progress before giving way to some more colleagues.
I have been a M...; Vicky Ford | 659 c228 (Link to this contribution)
This side of the Chamber was absolutely packed when my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Ale...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c228 (Link to this contribution)
I am not entirely sure what point the hon. Lady is trying to make, but I am pleased she is here t...; Ellie Reeves | 659 c228 (Link to this contribution)
Public sentiment and Labour’s position is clear: we must declare a climate emergency and legislat...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 cc228-230 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Let us show today that the political will is here, ...; Steve Brine | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with what the Leader of the Opposition said about President Trump. It is time that he re-...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
We need to see a growth in renewable sources and green energy, and I am coming on to that in my s...; Justine Greening | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way; I recognise that he has allowed a lot of interve...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
Last week, the leaders of the parties in Parliament, with the exception of the Prime Minister, at...; Philip Dunne | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
On the subject of coal, does the right hon. Gentleman now regret the comments he made while he wa...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
I do not regret any of the statements I made in the 2015 leadership campaign. I was talking then ...; Anna McMorrin | 659 c230 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with my right hon. Friend on the ecological crisis that we are facing. I am hosting Chris...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c231 (Link to this contribution)
I compliment my hon. Friend on her work. An audit like that would be an appropriate response to t...; Chris Bryant | 659 c231 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the most disturbing aspects of this climate emergency...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 cc231-2 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes a very good point, and I shall come on to it in a moment. At the heart of th...; Albert Owen | 659 c232 (Link to this contribution)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on leading on this debate. Does he agree that the last Labour...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c232 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. I will come on to the work done by the previous Labour Go...; Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park | 659 c232 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman is correct to declare a climate emergency and a broader environment emer...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 c232 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is right that that must be a high priority. I will be coming on to it towards ...; Roberta Blackman-Woods | 659 c232 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is making a powerful speech about the need to address climate change. Does h...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 cc233-4 (Link to this contribution)
Indeed. My hon. Friend knows my views on that. I attended a public meeting in a village in Derbys...; Lilian Greenwood | 659 c234 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is making a powerful point about the importance of justice. On Monday, I wen...; Jeremy Corbyn | 659 cc234-5 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The message is that we need to do far more in this country, b...; Lord Gove | 659 c235 (Link to this contribution)
I begin by thanking the Leader of the Opposition for choosing today’s motion, which provides us a...; Ed Davey | 659 c236 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his words. From my experience in government of two and a hal...; Lord Gove | 659 c236 (Link to this contribution)
I repeat my gratitude to the right hon. Gentleman for all the work he did. There are a number of ...; Lord Benyon | 659 c236 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend will know that he and I were on different sides in the referendum, but does ...; Lord Gove | 659 c236 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend knows how important it is to negotiate hard in every international forum, bu...; 659 c236 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 cc236-7 (Link to this contribution)
I want to make a little progress. I will take more interventions.
I welcome the opportunity...; 659 c237 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
With that, I am happy to give way to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas).
...; Caroline Lucas | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way. His words are honeyed, as ever, but we ne...; Lord Gove | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady makes an important point. She talks about honeyed words, and of course one thing th...; 659 c237 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
I want to make a little bit more progress. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Alex...; Caroline Lucas | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
Answer the question, Mr Gove.; Lord Gove | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
I am. My hon. Friend laid out what the consequences will be if we do not collectively take action...; 659 c237 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way at this stage; I will do so shortly. [Interruption.] No. I mean no disrespect...; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 659 c237 (Link to this contribution)
Order. The Secretary of State is trying to make progress.; Lord Gove | 659 cc237-8 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will give way to colleagues from all parts of the Ho...; 659 c238 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c238 (Link to this contribution)
I am now happy to give way, and I will do so first to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxbourne (M...; Charles Walker | 659 c238 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State and his ministerial team for their leadership on chalk streams. Th...; Lord Gove | 659 c238 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Biodiversity is declining precipitately not just in chalk str...; 659 c238 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c238 (Link to this contribution)
In fairness, I must give way to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Frank Field), who has been ...; Lord Field of Birkenhead | 659 c238 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the Secretary of State. Ten years ago, I helped to form Cool Earth, which is bri...; Lord Gove | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
A rocket might require too much fossil fuel to have the desired effect. The right hon. Gentleman ...; 659 c239 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
I want to be fair to Scottish National party colleagues, so I am happy to give way to the hon. Me...; Angus Brendan MacNeil | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way. He is slowly signing up to the talk of a ...; Lord Gove | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
That is a fair point, effectively made. As the hon. Gentleman knows, it is ultimately a decision ...; 659 c239 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
In that spirit, I am very happy to give way to the hon. Member for Glasgow South (Stewart Malcolm...; Stewart Malcolm McDonald | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for allowing me to intervene. I want to take him back to ...; Lord Gove | 659 c239 (Link to this contribution)
That is a fair point, and I will take it forward. In advance of our preparations for COP 26 at th...; 659 c240 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c240 (Link to this contribution)
I must allow my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park to intervene, after which I will take an...; Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park | 659 c240 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that part of any new deal for nature—it has been much discussed, ...; Lord Gove | 659 c240 (Link to this contribution)
I could not agree more, and I know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Internati...; Anna McMorrin | 659 c240 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State speaks with his characteristically warm words, but words are not followed ...; Lord Gove | 659 c240 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely agree that we need action. I thank the hon. Lady for her work, because before she jo...; 659 c240 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 cc240-1 (Link to this contribution)
I have taken some interventions and I will take some more, but first I want to make some points, ...; Edward Leigh | 659 c241 (Link to this contribution)
I am sorry to make a Thatcherite point—I know Thatcherism does not go down very well nowadays—but...; Lord Gove | 659 c241 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend makes a good point. It is no coincidence that it was Margaret Thatcher, a sc...; Shailesh Vara | 659 c241 (Link to this contribution)
Earlier, my right hon. Friend referred to the wonderful work that the UK is doing on the environm...; Lord Gove | 659 c241 (Link to this contribution)
I hope I might have the opportunity to make clear to the President of the United States when he c...; David Linden | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way to a Member from the yellow party. He has ...; Lord Gove | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
I have had the opportunity to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss his Bill, and we are looking int...; Huw Merriman | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State has talked about flowers and about honey; does he agree that although we t...; Lord Gove | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely agree. Of course, at DEFRA we have a beehive on our roof. Everyone can play their pa...; Caroline Johnson | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend has been making points about national and international leadership, but we c...; Lord Gove | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes a good point—; 659 c242 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way for another few minutes.
I am happy to congratulate North Kesteven Dist...; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 659 c242 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Although he is speaking quite audibly, I cannot hear the Secretary of State because there ...; Lord Gove | 659 c243 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for your help, Madam Deputy Speaker. I will give way again, but not for a few momen...; Marsha De Cordova | 659 c243 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Secretary of State give way?; Lord Gove | 659 c243 (Link to this contribution)
No.
I am more than happy to acknowledge that there are individual Labour councils that do w...; 659 c243 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 cc243-4 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way for a second.
One thing I want to emphasise is that actions and a highe...; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 659 c244 (Link to this contribution)
Order! This is like a primary school class—I am sorry I mean no insult to primary school children...; Lord Gove | 659 c244 (Link to this contribution)
indicated assent.; Wera Hobhouse | 659 c244 (Link to this contribution)
As we are talking about cross-party consensus, let me say that things are moving very fast in thi...; Lord Gove | 659 c244 (Link to this contribution)
I completely understand where the hon. Lady is coming from, but one thing that we all must acknow...; 659 c244 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c244 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way.
The key thing that everyone across this House has to recognise—and to ...; 659 c244 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 cc244-5 (Link to this contribution)
I am not giving way at the moment.
It is also important, as the right hon. Gentleman pointe...; Andrew Griffiths | 659 c245 (Link to this contribution)
Will my right hon. Friend give way?; Lord Gove | 659 c245 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way at this stage.
We are lucky in this country to have a concentration of ...; Rebecca Pow | 659 c245 (Link to this contribution)
The Secretary of State could not avoid giving way on the subject of soil. It saddens me—and I agr...; Lord Gove | 659 c245 (Link to this contribution)
There are few people who are more passionate about the environment than my hon. Friend, and she i...; 659 c245 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c245 (Link to this contribution)
With your permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I do want to take a number of interventions to ensure...; Nigel Huddleston | 659 c245 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend has mentioned several times the importance of handing on to future generatio...; Lord Gove | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely agree. The role of many broadcasters, not least the BBC, has been inspirational. On ...; Tracy Brabin | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman spoke earlier about leadership. Will he celebrate with me the Labour cou...; Lord Gove | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with the hon. Lady that a high level of ambition on the part of local government is absol...; Andrew Griffiths | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my right hon. Friend for giving way. I know that he, like me, will be celebrating Staffor...; Lord Gove | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That happened on Easter weekend. Let me also say that the bea...; 659 c246 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way to everyone—just a few more. Then I will make some progress.; Mary Creagh | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for giving way, and I welcome the change in his party’s policy on ...; Lord Gove | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
Makes sense to me.; Neil Parish | 659 c246 (Link to this contribution)
As we produce a new agriculture and environment policy, we can plant a lot of trees along banks t...; Lord Gove | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have to recognise the vital role that farmers and growers ...; Chris Bryant | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
Home energy conservation is going to be vital if we are to achieve these goals. Many of the poore...; Lord Gove | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely take the hon. Gentleman’s point. We must ensure that new construction meets high sta...; Antoinette Sandbach | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Secretary of State join me in praising the Woodland Trust for the work that it is doing ...; Lord Gove | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
I am hugely grateful for the national forest, which has taken former industrial areas in Derbyshi...; 659 c247 (Link to this contribution); Lord Gove | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
I can only really give way a couple more times.; Helen Goodman | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
I am most grateful to the Secretary of State for giving way. He mentioned peatlands, but 80% of o...; Lord Gove | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
It is actually £10 million.; Tom Tugendhat | 659 c247 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the Secretary of State for giving way. As he spoke about the regional aspects of the issu...; Lord Gove | 659 c248 (Link to this contribution)
All posts recognise the vital role that the UK has to play in ensuring that we deal with environm...; 659 c248 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 659 cc248-9 (Link to this contribution)
I think it only fair to warn hon. Members that I have indications that some 84 people wish to spe...; Deidre Brock | 659 c249 (Link to this contribution)
May I just say that it is about bloody time? Grave warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on C...; Mike Amesbury | 659 c249 (Link to this contribution)
Does the hon. Lady agree that one of the concrete actions that the Government could take to respo...; Deidre Brock | 659 cc249-250 (Link to this contribution)
As the hon. Gentleman is probably aware, the Scottish Government have taken significant action on...; Alan Brown | 659 c250 (Link to this contribution)
On working together, I am not sure if my hon. Friend is aware that the Department for Business, E...; Deidre Brock | 659 c250 (Link to this contribution)
I am indeed aware of that issue, and I do think it is disgraceful. I cannot see how the Secretary...; Stewart Malcolm McDonald | 659 c250 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend agree that for all the glossy words of the Environment Secretary, what is nee...; Deidre Brock | 659 cc250-1 (Link to this contribution)
I could not agree with my hon. Friend more. It has been three decades since radioactive particles...; Patricia Gibson | 659 c251 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend agree that the pressure for the real, far-reaching change that we need is bei...; Deidre Brock | 659 c251 (Link to this contribution)
I certainly will. My own two daughters’ knowledge of these important issues is so much greater th...; David Drew | 659 c251 (Link to this contribution)
Like me, the hon. Lady spent many weeks in the Committee on the Agriculture Bill, which, if intro...; Deidre Brock | 659 c251 (Link to this contribution)
Yes, I have to agree with the hon. Gentleman—it has surprised me how long the Bill has taken to r...; Jim Cunningham | 659 c251 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady is making a valuable contribution. On European funding for research and development...; Deidre Brock | 659 c252 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is correct. This is just another example of the uncertainty that the whole sit...; Ed Davey | 659 c252 (Link to this contribution)
I agree with everything the hon. Lady is saying, but will she share her thoughts on how we manage...; Deidre Brock | 659 c252 (Link to this contribution)
Absolutely. I would suggest something along the lines of the Scottish Government’s £12 million tr...; Alan Brown | 659 c252 (Link to this contribution)
Further to that point, does my hon. Friend agree that the oil and gas industry could also be supp...; Deidre Brock | 659 cc252-3 (Link to this contribution)
Absolutely. That is a crucial element. Unfortunately, as the National Audit Office told us, the t...; Sarah Newton | 659 cc253-4 (Link to this contribution)
This debate really matters. It matters to the hundreds of thousands of people across our great na...; Ed Miliband | 659 c254 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Sarah Newton). Her eloquent wo...; Catherine West | 659 c254 (Link to this contribution)
I make a very quick intervention just to say that my right hon. Friend does not need to apologise...; Ed Miliband | 659 cc255-6 (Link to this contribution)
It is nice of my hon. Friend to say so.
I want to talk about how we persuade people, and I ...; Ed Davey | 659 c256 (Link to this contribution)
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right on China; it is vital that people understand this. T...; Ed Miliband | 659 cc256-7 (Link to this contribution)
I agree absolutely with the former Secretary of State.
I want to finish by saying this. I r...; 659 c257 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 659 c257 (Link to this contribution)
Order. There is now a formal time limit of five minutes.
3.37 pm; Rebecca Pow | 659 cc257-8 (Link to this contribution)
It is always a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Doncaster North (Edward Miliband), wi...; Steve Brine | 659 c258 (Link to this contribution)
Although today’s debate was opened by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and ...; Rebecca Pow | 659 cc258-9 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that point. Only yesterday, I went to a superb event on cyclin...; Cat Smith | 659 cc259-260 (Link to this contribution)
Last year’s IPCC report could not have been any clearer: we have just 12 years to take real actio...; Philip Dunne | 659 cc260-1 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for your calling me early, Madam Deputy Speaker, and for being able to contribute—a...; Richard Graham | 659 c261 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. On reforestation, did he share my enthusiasm fo...; Philip Dunne | 659 cc261-2 (Link to this contribution)
That is well worth doing—we should encourage younger generations to recognise the power that tree...; Jeff Smith | 659 cc262-3 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr Dunne). I agree with him that we ...; George Freeman | 659 cc263-5 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome this debate, and it is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington ...; Ruth Jones | 659 cc264-6 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is a great honour to be able to make my maiden speech during this debat...; 659 c266 (Link to this contribution)
Hear, hear!; John Bercow | 659 c267 (Link to this contribution)
Many congratulations to the hon. Lady. We look forward to hearing from her a great deal more in t...; Andrew Selous | 659 cc267-8 (Link to this contribution)
May I be the second to congratulate most warmly the hon. Member for Newport West (Ruth Jones) on ...; Holly Lynch | 659 cc268-9 (Link to this contribution)
On behalf of Labour Members, I pay tribute to our new colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Ne...; Oliver Letwin | 659 cc269-271 (Link to this contribution)
I want to make three very brief points, which I hope will not repeat anything that has been said ...; Preet Kaur Gill | 659 cc270-2 (Link to this contribution)
Climate change is damaging the lives of people in the UK and abroad. We see the impact through th...; Stephen Doughty | 659 c272 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. She has referred to what cities and authorities thr...; Preet Kaur Gill | 659 c272 (Link to this contribution)
I am delighted to congratulate the Welsh Government on that.
The Government have blocked on...; David Duguid | 659 cc272-3 (Link to this contribution)
Earlier this week, I read that climate change is firmly back on the political agenda, but it has ...; Matthew Pennycook | 659 cc273-5 (Link to this contribution)
In the short time I have, I want to make three simple points in support of the motion. The first ...; Lord Benyon | 659 cc275-6 (Link to this contribution)
It is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Matthew Pennycook). ...; 659 c276 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 659 c276 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I have to reduce the time limit to three minutes. [Interruption.] The hon. Member for Norw...; Danielle Rowley | 659 cc276-7 (Link to this contribution)
In February, I asked the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth whether she really believed the Gov...; Mike Penning | 659 cc277-8 (Link to this contribution)
It has been a pleasure to sit in the Chamber for this debate, and I am really pleased about the c...; Janet Daby | 659 cc278-9 (Link to this contribution)
We need our environment, and the environment needs us to care for it. In the last week, we have h...; Bim Afolami | 659 c279 (Link to this contribution)
First, I congratulate my constituent Maddie Evans from St George’s School, Harpenden, who has man...; Rosie Duffield | 659 cc279-280 (Link to this contribution)
I am relieved and pleased that today my party is urging the Government to declare an environmenta...; Tom Tugendhat | 659 cc280-1 (Link to this contribution)
It is a privilege to speak in this debate. I am delighted to see my right hon. Friend and neighbo...; Jessica Morden | 659 cc281-2 (Link to this contribution)
I, too, congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West (Ruth Jones) on her excellent, co...; James Heappey | 659 cc282-3 (Link to this contribution)
Like many colleagues from across the House, I agree that we are in a climate emergency and should...; Albert Owen | 659 cc283-4 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the thoughtful speech from the hon. Member for Wells (James Heappey). ...; Derek Thomas | 659 c284 (Link to this contribution)
On Friday, the RSPB launched its “Let Nature Sing” track and accompanying video, which we should ...; Clive Lewis | 659 cc284-5 (Link to this contribution)
So often as politicians we talk about what is politically possible, but with the climate crisis w...; Trudy Harrison | 659 cc285-6 (Link to this contribution)
It will come as no surprise to anyone in the House that I shall advocate nuclear as the most game...; Chris Elmore | 659 cc286-7 (Link to this contribution)
The climate change debate has moved on rapidly in recent months, and let us all agree on one thin...; Antoinette Sandbach | 659 cc287-8 (Link to this contribution)
It will come as no surprise to Ministers sitting on the Treasury Bench that I rise to speak about...; Alex Norris | 659 cc288-9 (Link to this contribution)
We are 10 years away from the edge of the biggest crisis that humanity will ever face. No ifs, no...; Peter Aldous | 659 c289 (Link to this contribution)
Britain has a good record in recognising the global threat of climate change and taking steps to ...; Luke Graham | 659 c289 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend welcome the £355 million that has been invested in Scotland’s offshore wind i...; Peter Aldous | 659 cc289-290 (Link to this contribution)
I do welcome that investment. The two industries go hand in hand. In oil and gas basins all aroun...; Caroline Lucas | 659 cc290-1 (Link to this contribution)
The failure to act with sufficient ambition to avert the climate catastrophe will be the greatest...; Maggie Throup | 659 cc291-2 (Link to this contribution)
As we have heard, there is much common ground across the Chamber today. Indeed, I am sure there i...; Wera Hobhouse | 659 cc292-3 (Link to this contribution)
Let us remind ourselves why we are here: thousands, if not millions, of young schoolchildren prot...; Richard Graham | 659 c293 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) echoed many of the good things that have been said today...; Matt Western | 659 cc293-4 (Link to this contribution)
I have requested a climate change debate a couple of times in the past couple of months, so I am ...; 659 c294 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 659 c294 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I am sure colleagues will appreciate that it is almost impossible to get in everyone who w...; Huw Merriman | 659 cc294-5 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to speak in this debate.
I absolutely understand the concerns about climat...; Liam Byrne | 659 cc295-6 (Link to this contribution)
It was 307 years ago that Thomas Newcomen demonstrated the first working steam engine up in Dudle...; Vicky Ford | 659 cc296-7 (Link to this contribution)
Of course there is a climate emergency. The science is very clear: we cannot continue pumping mor...; Kerry McCarthy | 659 c297 (Link to this contribution)
We need action on so many fronts to tackle this climate emergency, but time is limited so I will ...; Caroline Johnson | 659 cc297-8 (Link to this contribution)
As a mother, doctor and the MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, I am committed to ensuring that ou...; Ed Davey | 659 cc298-9 (Link to this contribution)
I refer the House to my entry in the register, especially in relation to solar power and communit...; 659 c299 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 659 c299 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I am afraid we have not done that well at my idea of Members voluntarily speaking for two ...; David Drew | 659 cc299-300 (Link to this contribution)
I shall rush what I have to say, Madam Deputy Speaker.
It may well help if we understand wh...; Mike Gapes | 659 c300 (Link to this contribution)
On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. You may not be aware, but the Defence Secretary has ju...; Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 659 c300 (Link to this contribution)
No, I have not, and we need to get on with the debate. I call Daniel Zeichner.
6.7 pm; Daniel Zeichner | 659 cc300-1 (Link to this contribution)
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
I think we were all impressed by the passion of the childr...; Faisal Rashid | 659 c301 (Link to this contribution)
I want to remind Members why we are even here to debate the climate crisis in the first place. We...; Marsha De Cordova | 659 cc301-2 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to speak in this important debate. There can be no more denial, no more delay an...; Catherine West | 659 c302 (Link to this contribution)
May I first put on record the excellent work of the Hornsey and Wood Green climate emergency acti...; Jo Platt | 659 cc302-3 (Link to this contribution)
As a planet and as a country, we stand at a crossroads. In the month of Extinction Rebellion, Gre...; Mohammad Yasin | 659 c303 (Link to this contribution)
Over six months ago, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we had just 12 yea...; Hugh Gaffney | 659 cc303-4 (Link to this contribution)
The UK Student Climate Network, the FridaysforFuture movement and Extinction Rebellion—these move...; Baroness Brown of Silvertown | 659 c304 (Link to this contribution)
On Monday, I was privileged to host students from the fabulous St Bonaventure’s boys school in my...; Liz Saville Roberts | 659 cc304-5 (Link to this contribution)
We have heard an awful lot about the various approaches we should be taking, but what we have not...; Tommy Sheppard | 659 cc305-6 (Link to this contribution)
In the 1970s, as a teenager, I first got involved in political activity through campaigning on th...; Ruth Cadbury | 659 c306 (Link to this contribution)
I heard Greta Thunberg speak at the meeting here last week, where, on behalf of her generation, s...; Paul Sweeney | 659 cc306-7 (Link to this contribution)
On behalf of my constituents, I want to declare a climate change emergency. I have received compe...; Alex Sobel | 659 cc307-8 (Link to this contribution)
The IPCC said we had until 2030 to avoid a 1.5° rise in global temperatures. We must get to net z...; Liz McInnes | 659 c308 (Link to this contribution)
We have heard many claims from Government Members about the progress that the Government have mad...; Stephen Twigg | 659 cc308-9 (Link to this contribution)
Let me begin by endorsing the idea of a citizens’ assembly on climate change. Such an assembly wo...
Subjects: Agriculture Conservation Air pollution Climate change Biodiversity Development aid Employment Health Finance Environment protection Environment EU law International cooperation Emergencies Forests Government assistance Fossil fuels Floods Fires Electric vehicles Food supply Recycling Offshore industry Weather Standards Water Water supply Transport Sustainable development Temperature Renewable energy Wildlife Carbon emissions Soil Natural England Greenhouse gas emissions Fracking
Legislation: Climate Change Act 2008
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

Environment and Climate Change

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