The climate emergency is the biggest crisis facing our planet today. Without a coordinated plan with clear milestones, the Government will fail to meet their climate targets and we will continue sleepwalking towards disaster.

Today the Public Accounts Committee, of which I am a member, published a report into the Government’s progress towards reaching its net zero target. The findings are very worrying. When it comes to climate action, it seems the Government has become very good at saying one thing and doing something completely different. We need a cross departmental strategy, where every Government policy is put through the lens of “will this help us meet net zero.” Instead we have warm words from the Government, whilst Departments continue to miss targets.

The Government should immediately adopt the Committees recommendations, and publish an overarching net zero strategy by September 2021 with clear metrics for delivery.

The lack of coordinated action is forcing communities across the country to take climate action into their own hands. I have been working with Hallam constituents to create a Hallam Citizens’ Climate Manifesto, which we will use to press for Government action ahead of the COP26 climate summit.

You can read the full report here.