Newly appointed chair of the APPG on Climate Change, Luke Murphy discusses how this parliament will be pivotal for advancing climate and nature action.
This parliament will be critical for climate and nature action. With climate-related floods, fires, and droughts around the world becoming more frequent, and the realities of being tied to fossil fuels impacting both our energy security and our energy bills at home, we have no time to waste. The nature that we rely on for food, clean air, and water continues to decline at an alarming rate.
UK Climate Leadership: A Two-Pronged Approach
Successful UK climate leadership relies on a two-pronged strategy – action at home and abroad. The foundation for being taken seriously as a climate leader abroad is making measurable progress on reducing emissions at home. That’s why the new Labour government’s decisive action to reshape the energy landscape by establishing Britain as a clean energy superpower by 2030 is so important, fundamentally transforming our nation’s approach to energy production and consumption.
Under the previous government, Rishi Sunak had effectively set the UK into reverse gear on climate action by scrapping the 2030 phase-out date for petrol and diesel vehicles, committing to expansion in the North Sea, and going slow on the deployment of renewable energy. Such actions undermined decades of cross-party consensus, creating uncertainty for businesses and consumers, and damaging our international reputation as a climate leader.
By contrast, the new Labour government has been unequivocal in its commitment to making the UK a clean energy superpower and has backed it up with tangible actions. In just a few months, significant steps have been taken: the onshore wind ban has been lifted, nearly 2GW of solar energy has been consented, and the most successful renewables auction in British history has been conducted. These initiatives signal a government determined to deliver on its commitment at home, and they form the foundation of a refreshed approach to climate leadership abroad.
Reclaiming the UK’s Role in Global Climate Efforts
On the international stage, Labour is determined to reclaim the UK’s leadership role in global climate efforts. It was heartening to hear the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, highlighting the urgent need for global action on climate change. Despite a tumultuous political landscape marked by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the Foreign Secretary made clear that the UK’s commitment to addressing the climate and nature emergency abroad remains paramount.
Such leadership is not just a lofty environmental pursuit, but part of a strategy rooted in Britain’s national interest. The global scramble for critical minerals, the displacement of millions of people and the knock-on impacts of migration, the health risks of a warming climate from increased risks of pandemics and heatwaves, and the global economic opportunities of the transition to a clean economy – all are integral to the UK’s economic, security, and political interests.
Successful climate leadership will require the integration of climate action into all aspects of not just the Foreign Office but all government departments – it must not be the preserve of specialists and advocates alone. Initiatives such as the formation of a Global Clean Power Alliance, aimed at facilitating the global transition to clean energy, will be crucial in ensuring ambition is turned into action. The need to address the disparities in clean energy investment is essential, particularly in developing countries, where access to renewable resources remains limited. The goal of the alliance is to create partnerships that facilitate the flow of finance and technology, enabling nations to leapfrog fossil fuel dependency.
The Foreign Secretary has also rightly called for increased climate and nature finance, acknowledging the systemic challenges faced by countries in the Global South. The statistics are stark: Africa, while bearing the brunt of climate impacts, receives a meagre share of global climate finance. Addressing this imbalance is crucial for fostering resilience and supporting sustainable development.
The call for action must also extend beyond financing; it must encompass a commitment to reversing biodiversity loss. There has been an alarming decline in global wildlife populations, and there is an urgent need to protect natural habitats. Initiatives to safeguard land and oceans will be essential to maintaining the ecological balance upon which humanity depends.
The Role of Parliamentarians and Broader Society
Of course, the UK’s climate leadership cannot rest on the shoulders of the government alone. Parliament is full of a new cadre of MPs, along with many experienced colleagues, who want to collaborate to push forward ambitious action on climate and nature. The APPG on Climate, which I’m proud to chair, will play its part, not least by working immediately with the Environment APPG in running the Climate and Nature Leadership Programme for parliamentarians. The programme is designed to deepen parliamentarians’ understanding of climate change and position them to help drive forward the UK’s climate response.
The UK can and must play a key role in addressing one of the defining challenges of our time. But UK climate leadership must not rely solely on the government. Success will require the collective leadership of parliamentarians, business, trade unions, civil society, and the wider public. Such leadership, at home and abroad, will be fundamental in tackling climate change and reversing biodiversity loss, which in turn will be foundational to global peace and prosperity.
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