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Why I'm voting for the CAN Bill this Friday

On Friday, MPs will debate the Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill for the first time. Championed by my colleague and friend, Dr Roz Savage MP, this Bill would become a landmark act if passed by this parliament. 


We’re truly blessed here in South Devon to be surrounded by so much beautiful nature, but not everyone is as lucky. In fact, the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet. 


Just over half of our original nature remains intact, placing us in the bottom 10% of the 240 nations and territories in the world. And the situation is accelerating; nearly 1 in 6 of more than 10,000 species assessed by the Wildlife Trust are at risk of being lost from the UK, while, at the same time, our climate continues to drastically change. Last year we experienced both the warmest and one of the wettest springs on record. 


Given this backdrop, one would expect our government to feel compelled to act quickly on the climate. But, over the last several years, positive action has been glacial. Or at least it would have been before the glaciers started melting and moving more quickly... 


Even before former PM Rishi Sunak watered down our net-zero targets, the UK’s approach to climate was literally stuck in the past. Many of our targets are almost 13 years old, set before scientists fully understood the dangers of exceeding 1.5°C, and before the UK adopted its net zero 2050 target. They also ignore international aviation and shipping until 2033, and the nearly 40% of UK emissions that are imported. 


Now, this wouldn't be so disastrous if other countries were picking up the slack, but around the world, we’ve seen climate pledges rolled back. And despite pledging in Paris a decade ago to avoid excess heating, 2024 was not only the hottest year on record but also the first to pass the symbolic threshold of 1.5°C. 


More than ever, the world is crying out for climate leadership, and by passing the CAN Bill, the UK will show it is not just responding to climate change and nature breakdown, but leading the conversation around how best to respond to it. 


It’s not an argument to say ‘nothing we do here will make any difference’. We ALL have to play our part, on a personal, local, regional and national level to do everything we can to reduce emissions. I want the UK to be seen as a leader, to inspire other countries to do more and go further.  


But the positive impact of the CAN Bill is not limited to boosting the UK’s reputation. The environment was a top 5 issue at the last election – and passing the CAN Bill, which calls for legally binding targets to reverse biodiversity loss, and a strategy for reducing emissions, will create tangible benefits for everyone. 


Cleaner air, cleaner energy, cleaner lakes, abundant nature and greener homes are not just good for the planet but the public too. We know that improving our natural environment will have a positive knock-on effect on health and wellbeing, with all that means for reduced pressure on the NHS and the public purse. It’s a win-win in every sense. 


These are all fantastic measures, but what I love most about the CAN Bill is the fact it’s the only proposed legislation in the UK that tackles the climate and nature emergencies as one. These two crises are like the NHS and social care. They are two sides of the same coin, and you can’t fix one without fixing the other. 


The sheer number of emails I’ve received about the CAN Bill gives me hope, and I’m proud to confirm I’ll be voting for it this Friday. 


If you’re interested in learning more about the Bill and Roz, who was the first woman to row solo across three oceans, then please come to our joint event in Totnes next Friday. It'll be a great evening of conversation about politics, nature and the environment, and you can get your tickets at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/south-hams-liberal-democrats 

 

 

 

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