Chloe SmithMP for Norwich North
Chloe SmithOver the past few weeks we have seen public concern pushing climate change back onto the agenda and the many voices being raised in this debate reflect genuine growing demand for action.
Many constituents have written in over the past few days to share with me their views and concerns about climate change and I wanted to write to keep you up to date with what action is being taken now to tackle climate change.
We should all be proud of the UK’s world-leading role in tackling climate change and the
transition to Clean Growth.
Since 1990 the UK has cut carbon emissions by 42% while growing the economy by over 72% and an independent assessment by PWC shows that the UK has decarbonised its economy at the fastest rate of G20 countries since 2000.
The last time carbon emissions in the UK were this low was in 1888!
More than half of the UK’s electricity was generated from low-carbon sources last year, the highest ever share, while we achieved a record 90 hours of continuous coal-free generation over the Easter weekend.
UK renewable energy capacity has quadrupled since 2010 and the UK has the largest installed offshore wind capacity in the world thanks to the Government’s sustained investment in this crucial technology.
Back in 2017 the Government launched its Clean Growth Strategy, which sets out our plans to build on our remarkable progress in the power sector while advancing decarbonisation across the whole of the economy, with ambitious proposals on housing, business, transport, and the natural environment.
I know climate change is in issue of great concern to many of my constituents, so I would urge you to read the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy in full- which can be found at the below web address.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-growth-strategy
There is more good work in the pipeline and I was pleased to see, at the Spring Statement the Chancellor’s announcement of a Future Homes Standard which by 2025 will see new build homes future-proofed with low carbon heating & world leading levels of energy efficiency.
For us here in Norfolk, we are fortunate to have some of the best natural environment in the whole of the UK and It does need protecting.
In that vein, the Government has also recently published its 25-year environment plan, which offers a comprehensive set of actions over the next 25 years to transform our environment, so that we leave it in a better state than when we found it.
You can see just how ambitious and comprehensive this plan is by reading it for yourself and it can be found at the below address.
Whilst I welcome all these new innovations climate change is too broad a challenge for this Government to tackle alone. This is a global problem to which the solution will be global commitment.
The UK played an influential role in delivering the historic Paris Agreement in 2015 and only last year we helped create the first “rulebook” to bring the Paris Agreement to life at the latest round of UN talks in Poland.
As your constituency MP I am fully behind the Government’s measures to tackle climate change and protect our environment and I will continue to work in Parliament to support these essential measures.