Chair of the Environment APPG, Alistair Strathern MP, writes for Chamber UK on the importance of working with partners across political parties, to create consensus, tackle climate change and renew ambition and action for climate and environmental leadership
Alistair Strathern MP
Member of Parliament for HitchinChair of the Environment APPG
Over the Summer, I was lucky enough to be picked by my colleagues to head up the Environment APPG, a group of MPs and peers aiming to build cross-party ambition for meaningful action to tackle climate change and environmental destruction.
Building consensus for bold and innovative environmental policy is worth doing. Following the Second World War, the then Labour Government set up national nature reserves, sites of special scientific interest, and the Nature Conservancy Council – the UK’s first green watchdog. One of its boldest accomplishments, the introduction of the UK’s first National Parks, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
But at the start of this Parliament, we see real signs of concern. Last year’s State of Nature Report confirmed that the UK is one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries. One in six species are now at risk of becoming extinct in Great Britain, meaning turtle doves, puffins, and hedgehogs could soon disappear from our shores. At the same time, record heatwaves are already being seen across the UK and changing weather patterns are already impacting our farmers. Building cross-party consensus for environmental ambition is more important than ever.
The Value of Consensus in Protecting our Climate
We don’t need to look far to see what the loss of such a consensus can mean. In a number of Western countries, politicians have sought quick wins by positioning themselves in opposition to environmental policies.
Such a rejection of the scale of the challenge we are facing has real-world impacts. Significant action on climate, such as the Government’s 2030 clean power mission, will require major, long-term investment from the public and private sectors. But if our political system fails to demonstrate that it will support the long-term policies to make this mission happen, why would investors risk their money buying into this project?
The UK’s Record on Climate Change
We know that when politicians put party politics aside, the Westminster system is able to deliver meaningful progress for the environment. When the last Labour Government passed the 2008 Climate Change Act, it did so by building a cross-party consensus on the need to act. While we had debates over its design, the three largest parties all supported creating a target, in law, to reduce emissions across the economy. Support also came from proactive engagement with businesses and unions, with both the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress backing the landmark legislation.
The Climate Change Act meant that when Labour left government, that legislative pressure to make progress on the environment remained. Undeniably, there have been significant missteps along the way; the effective banning of onshore wind in England has delayed the UK’s phase-out of fossil fuels. But the ambition represented by the Climate Change Act has meant the UK has continued to make progress, however inconsistent and frustrating at times, towards decarbonising our economy.
The past couple of years have seen efforts to undermine broad support for climate and environmental policy. Seeking to use climate and nature issues as culture war wedges, we’ve heard arguments that because the UK has previously made progress in these areas, we can now sit back and rest on past achievements.
What Next for Climate Leadership?
Our record of climate and environmental leadership is something we rightly should be proud of, but as the current climate and nature emergencies demonstrate, there is a need for renewed ambition and action.
In the face of these challenges, our new Labour Government shows clear ambition on climate and nature. But it can’t just fall to Labour to push this agenda forward.
We continue to enjoy the UK’s natural beauty and rich biodiversity because previous generations of politicians and policymakers worked across party lines to ensure they were protected. This commitment to building cross-party consensus on the protection of our natural environment is more important than ever. Working with our ambitious new Government, MPs from across the political spectrum will need to ensure we all play our part in meeting the urgency of the climate and nature crises we face.
This op-ed was released as part of Chamber UK’s quarterly Newsletter. Don’t miss out on more content, and sign up to the Newsletter here