1. The UK passed the world’s first Climate Change Act over a decade ago with cross-party support. This gave us both a framework to set statutory carbon budgets and set up the independent Committee on Climate Change.
2. Since 2000, independent analysis shows that no other major industrialised country has done more than the UK to cut CO2. We have seen reductions of an average of 3.7 percent a year, compared to the EU average of 2.3 per cent and a G7 average of 2.2 per cent. The last time emissions in the UK were this low was in 1888 when Queen Victoria was on the throne, and our progress is accelerating; between 2010 and 2018, we reduced UK greenhouse gas emissions by approximately a quarter overall.
3. Ending coal use in our electricity generation through a huge shift to renewables and gas driven by decisive policy action: a UK carbon floor price. We have seen coal use on the grid tumble from almost 40 per cent in 2012 to our first “coal free” generation day last April and the longest coal free stretch ever (90 hrs 45 minutes) just this last weekend. By 2025 the UK will have no coal powered electricity generation.
4. We’ve used this achievement to establish the global Powering Past Coal Alliance with Canada – a coalition of 80 national and sub-national governments, businesses and organizations committed to phasing out unabated coal generation by no later than 2030.
5. Renewable electricity generation has quadrupled since 2010 and clean electricity now gives us over 50 per cent of our total.
6. Our renewables mix is diverse but we are rapidly developing the incredible potential for offshore wind around our coastlines, with the world’s largest offshore wind capacity (8GW) and a launch last month of new £250 million sector deal to provide at least 30 percent of our electricity from offshore wind by 2030.
7. The low carbon sector and its supply chain is now providing almost 400,000 green collar jobs in the UK and is growing much faster than the main economy, with estimated potential exports of more than £60 billion by 2030.
8. The government is investing more than £2.5 billion in low carbon technology over this parliament, the largest ever public R&D investment in clean growth.
9. We want to go further and faster and the UK was the first major industrial economy to ask for independent advice on how to reach a Net Zero economy after the publication of the IPCC report last year.
10. We have consistently been in the vanguard of international action, helping to lead the Paris 2015 Climate conference, delivering more than £6 billion in International Climate Finance over this Parliament and bidding to host the crucial 2020 UN climate negotiations here in the UK.
THE COTSWOLDS
FLOOD RESILIENCE
An opportunity for residents of Bledington, South Cerney, Cerney Wick, Siddington, Cirencester, Fairford, Lechlade and Moreton-in-Marsh to hear and ask questions of the continued flood resilience work taking place and to speak with officials from the County and District Councils, Parish Council, Thames Water and the Environment Agency about ongoing issues.
PUBLIC MEETING
Friday 5 March 2021
1030-1245
VIA ZOOM ONLY
Please email Bettertonj@parliament.uk if you wish to participate in the call and also include any questions or concerns you would like to have discussed. I will then forward the Zoom invitation.
I have submitted my responses to the two planning consultations: “Changes to the current planning system’ and “Planning for the future’.
These planning changes are one of the most significant events to affect the Cotswolds since WWII. I think that both papers contain positive proposals, in our case commitments to protect the AONB. The proposal to abolition Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) should speed up the planning process and it is important that the money is retained locally so that the infrastructure can be built at the same time as the development.
Too often we see a development being built long before the supporting infrastructure, which I know can cause significant issues for existing residents. The proposals to simplify and speed up local plan-making and retaining neighbourhood plans where possible are welcome, in that design codes can be specified so it should be possible to protect our unique Cotswolds vernacular.
I spoke in the planning backbench business debate on the 8 October and called for a change to the algorithm the Government uses in its planning White Paper which fails to take account of local variations and concentrates all new house building in the south-east and central south of England.
View The Cotswolds in a larger map