At St Neots Full Town Council meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 25th October), Councillors will debate supporting the Climate and Ecology Bill.
The Climate & Ecology Bill is a plan for a new UK law that addresses the full extent of the climate and nature crisis in line with the most up-to-date science. The Bill is the only proposed legislation before the UK Parliament that ensures a comprehensive and joined-up approach to the emergency.
The Bill, was written by scientists, experts and campaigners, was first introduced in Parliament by Caroline Lucas MP in September 2020, and now has the backing of 150 parliamentarians representing all major political parties.
The Climate & Ecology Bill sets out a whole-of-government emergency plan to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels and reverse the destruction of nature. The Bill is looks at tackling the climate and nature crises together, for the UK to take responsibility for it's fair share to cut UK emissions and stay below 1.5°C of global warming, halting and reverse UK biodiversity loss by 2030, taking responsibility for the entirety of our global carbon and ecological footprints and involving the public in a fair way forward.
If made law, the Bill would ensure that the UK plays its fair role in limiting global heating in line with international accords such as the Paris Agreement. This means keeping to the UK's fair share of the global carbon budget that provides the best chance of staying below 1.5°C of warming (as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). The CEE Bill would establishes a national carbon budget, which would be set every year rather than every five years.
On nature the Bill would ensure that the UK plays its fair role in reversing the destruction of the natural world in line with international commitments such as the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature. This means that by 2030, nature is visibly and measurably on the path of recovery.
The emergency plan will draw up with the help of a temporary Climate & Nature Assembly and means ordinary people from all walks of life consult directly with the Government's expert bodies on climate and nature, before the plan is laid before Parliament
If Councillors on St Neots Town Council pass the bill it will write to Huntindon's MP Jonathan Djanogly urging him to support the bill.
Green Councillor Daniel Laycock said: "Supporting the Climate and Ecology Bill would show St Neots wants to see real action the Climate and Ecological Emergency by tackling the climate and nature crises together. Doing our fair share to cut UK emissions and stay below 1.5°C of global warming, and by halting and reverse UK biodiversity loss by 2030."
"We need Jonathan Djanolgy to support this bill and if this motion pass the Town Council will be writing to him to do so."
"The stakes are simply too high to leave these two inextricably linked crises to chance. Like the thousands of expert scientists, councils, councillors, businesses, and NGOs have no confidence that current legislation will lead us out of the climate and ecological emergency. We must enact the Climate and Ecology Bill."
