'We have to act now on climate change before it’s too late' says Mansfield mayor

The reason for their casual attitude was because they were so ill0prepared and had no plans in place for what actions were needed to keep our communities safe during a pandemic, which led to devastating consequences.

I like to make decisions based on the facts, so here is the science which proves we are in a climate emergency:

1 – There is more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere than at any time in history;

2 – We are on the path to exceeding 1.5C of warming. Once exceeded, it will be too late to prevent extradential warming;

3 – Our carbon budget to prevent 1.5C of warming is tiny, conserving and restoring natural spaces, both and land and in water is essential for limiting carbon emissions;

4 – Extreme heat events have become more frequent and severe;

5 – Human activity has already caused more than 1C of warming;

6 – Sea levels are rising faster than ever before;

7 – The Arctic Sea ice is rapidly diminishing;

8 – Average wildlife populations have dropped by 60 per cent in the last 40 years.

We have a moral responsibility to act now to protect our grandchildren and their children from the devastating effects of inaction.

That is why Labour has pledged £28 billion every year for the next 10 years in green infrastructure and jobs.

The Government could and should have acted sooner on the climate emergency.

Following a visit to Parliament in 2019 by Greta Thunberg, Sir David Attenborough’s documentary Climate Change – The Facts and 11 days of protest that paralysed London, the government passed a non-binding motion declaring a climate emergency following an opposition day debate, but did not even endorse the motion.

We have praised their brilliant scientists for their incredible expertise in finding a vaccination for Covid-19, yet we continue to ignore their advice on the climate emergency.

In 2013, the World Meteorological Organization released its assessment report which concluded: “Climate change is real and human activities, largely the release of polluted gases from burning fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas), is the main cause. We are sleep walking into a disaster but more than 75 per cent of the methane emissions could be mitigated with technology that exists today and up to 40 per cent at no net cost.”

Homes

In Mansfield, Mansfield Council is designing houses to the future homes standard 2025 which are fitted with low-carbon heating and high-energy efficiency with the average semi-detached home producing 75 to 80 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions.

It is inexplicable that the Government did not bring in these standards two years ago.

It has embarked on a national home-building programme of more than 300.000 houses a year, which means 1.5 million homes will be built without contributing anything to reducing our carbon savings and it will cost billions to retro fit them after 2025 to meet the new building regulations.

With energy prices spiralling out of control, building these to the new standards would reduce our dependency on the energy companies, dramatically reducing bills and accelerating investment in alternative renewable energy.

Where is the forward thinking, planning and leadership that is needed?

To prevent warming beyond 1.5C, we need to reduce emissions by 7.6 per cent every year to 2030.

Ten years ago, if countries had acted on the science available governments would only have to reduce emissions by 3.3 per cent each year.

Action is needed now urgently, as every year we fail to act the level, difficulty and costs to reduce emissions goes up.

Unless a more proactive approach is taken now in another five years the emission reduction necessary will leap to a near impossible 15.5 per cent a year.

Not only is this morally the right thing to do for future generations, it is the best thing we can do for the future prosperity of our country.

The British proudly started the industrialised revolution that ruled the world, but unfortunately it also made us the second highest polluter of all time after America.

It is now time to put this right.

Labour’s 10-year, £234 billion investment in green renewable energy will create hundreds of thousands of newly skilled jobs and allow us to be the new leaders in the world, solving the climate crisis.

We have to act now before it’s too late.

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