A BILL which would enshrine in law that the UK must reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is being backed by Redditch MP Rachel Maclean.
The proposal was put forward by Alex Chalk, Conservative MP for Cheltenham, who introduced the ‘Ten-Minute Rule Bill’ – a private members Bill where a backbench MP has ten minutes to speak in favour of it.
“We must do everything we can to protect our environment and our planet for the sake of our children’s future.
“They will be the ones who will suffer the devastating consequences of climate change if we just sit by and don’t act immediately.
“It was an honour to support Alex’s Bill and to see the cross-party support there was for this ambitious plan.
“We shouldn’t play party politics with the future of our planet, we must all work together to protect our environment and our planet from climate change.
“There is no planet B.”
In 2008, the UK passed the Climate Change Act committing the UK to reducing our emissions by 80 percent by 2050 (on 1990 levels).
Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report which outlined why it is so important to limit warming to 1.5C.
The UK Government has since instructed its independent statutory advisor, the Committee on Climate Change, to look at this in more detail and is expected to report back soon on how the UK can reach net zero emissions.
The Net Zero Bill will commit the UK to reducing its greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050 which means any lingering emissions are balanced out by, for example, planting trees which suck carbon out of the atmosphere as they grow.
