Paul Waugh MP has reaffirmed his commitment to tackling climate change after raising the issue directly with the Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, in the House of Commons.
Speaking during Energy and Climate Change questions, Paul highlighted the stark warning contained in Chris Packham’s National Emergency Briefing, which he watched at a community screening in Rochdale last week.
The screening, held at Vintage Worx Community Park & Gardens, brought together local residents to discuss the growing risks posed by climate change and the action needed to address them.
Referring to one of the documentary’s central messages, Paul told Parliament:
“One of the most chilling lines in that entire documentary was that today’s extreme weather is going to be the coolest and most stable weather we’re going to experience in the rest of this century. In other words, the recent extreme heatwaves, floods and wildfires are going to get much, much worse without real action.”
Paul asked whether the Energy Secretary agreed that, while the Labour Government had made significant progress in its first two years in office, there was much more to do to protect people’s health, the economy and national security from the effects of climate change.
Responding, Ed Miliband agreed, describing climate change as “an emergency” and highlighting the increasing impact of extreme weather on the country’s transport, education and health systems. He also pointed to figures from the UK Health Security Agency estimating that 1,504 people in England died from heat-related causes last summer.
Following the exchange, Paul Waugh MP said:
“Climate change is not a distant threat. It is happening now, and communities like Rochdale are already feeling its effects through more frequent heatwaves, flooding and extreme weather.
“I was pleased to attend the community screening of the National Emergency Briefing because it brought people together to understand both the scale of the challenge and the practical solutions available.
“The Labour Government has already made major strides by accelerating clean energy, investing in green industries and putting climate action back at the heart of government. But this is an emergency and we cannot afford to be complacent.
“Climate action is about protecting lives, creating good jobs, strengthening our energy security and leaving a safer, healthier country for future generations. I will continue working both in Parliament and here in Rochdale to support the action needed to meet that challenge.”
Paul has consistently supported measures to accelerate the transition to clean energy, improve energy security and reduce carbon emissions, while ensuring that communities such as Rochdale benefit from the jobs and investment created by the green transition.