On Friday, I caught up with Heather Fraser and Christine Manly from Elmbridge Friends of the Earth. It was good to hear their views, and we had a good discussion about the action the government is taking to tackle climate change.
The UK has a strong record in this area, having decarbonised our economy faster than any other G20 country since the start of this century. In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass a net zero emissions law, requiring us to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
This international leadership, and our commitment to Build Back Greener by becoming the world leader in clean wind energy, puts us in a good place as we prepare to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow next year.
While climate change and environmental protection are global challenges, they also have real importance in local communities. In Elmbridge, we can see this in the strong attachment to our Green Belt. With this in mind, it was good to re-affirm to Heather and Christine the local Conservatives’ clear commitment to protecting it for future generations.