COP26 – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

14Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Davey: PM has wasted COP26

Commenting on the conclusion of a deal at COP26 in Glasgow with only a commitment to 'phase down' the use of coal, Liberal Democrat Leader and former Secretary of State for Energy Sir Ed Davey MP said: “It sadly looks like the Prime Minister has flunked the chance for the UK to lead real progress in the fight against the climate crisis. His COP has barely been worth excess emissions caused by the flights to Glasgow. “We now need an urgent action plan to sort out the mess: we simply cannot sit and wait for COP27 and then COP28 after that. We need a global leaders’ summit within months to get China round the table and put the fossil fuel industry on notice once and for all. “Over the last…

10Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Draft COP26 agreement is “kicking the can down the road”

Parliamentary news

Responding to the draft COP26 agreement calling on countries to strengthen their carbon-cutting targets by the end of 2022, Liberal Democrat Leader and former Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey MP said: “I fear this is more about kicking the can down the road and expectation management after a disappointing conference. “We can have as many COPs as we like, but until the West convinces China to cut emissions more quickly, these summits will continue to fail. “To keep the 1.5 degree target genuinely alive requires greater political will, stronger leadership and far more serious domestic and global action. “Otherwise beating the existential threat of climate change will be a pipe dream and the greatest failure of global leadership ever.”

09Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

If the PM wants to make COP a success he should be turning to Beijing not flying to Glasgow

Parliamentary news

Responding to reports the Prime Minister will travel to Glasgow today, former Climate Change Secretary and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: “If Boris Johnson is really serious about getting a good deal at COP26 he should be going to Beijing not Glasgow. “There is still time for a good deal for the planet, but there is an awfully long way to go, especially to persuade China to go the extra mile. “The Prime Minister should therefore focus diplomatic efforts on President Xi - with the carrot of a climate progress dividend and the stick of new carbon taxes on Chinese imports into the UK and other western countries. “The UK must unite the West to get China into a better place. If Glasgow’s COP fails, we will…

05Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

No COP Out: Council must make ‘practical and time-bound commitments’ to tackle climate change

Borough news

As the world’s leading politicians meet in Glasgow for the COP-26 conference to renew their commitments to address climate change, the Oldham Liberal Democrats called on Oldham Council to make some local commitments to reach Net Zero. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Councillor Chris Gloster, who is the party’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon, proposed an amendment to a motion at Wednesday’s meeting of the Full Council (3 November) listing a series of measures that Oldham should commit to as an authority ‘ambitious to become a carbon neutral council by 2025 and a carbon neutral borough by 2030’. Commenting Councillor Gloster said: “The Liberal Democrats first called on the Council to declare a climate emergency in July 2019 and the Council subsequently adopted a new green plan for…

05Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

China must phase out coal or face carbon border tax

Parliamentary news

Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Climate and Energy Secretary Ed Davey used a visit to the COP26 summit in Glasgow to call for tougher international action against China in the fight against climate change. He called on Western countries to unite in getting China to agree to phase out the use of fossil fuels or face a carbon border tax, warning that a “carrot and stick approach” is needed to get the world’s largest polluter round the negotiating table. Ed Davey has negotiated more COPs than any other British politician, leading negotiations in Doha, Lima and Warsaw. Leader of the Liberal Democrats and former Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: “This is Boris Johnson’s moment to bring the West together and put China under maximum pressure to phase…

01Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Slashing Air Passenger Duty to create same CO2 emissions as 2.3m extra train journeys

Parliamentary news

The Conservatives’ plans to cut air passenger duty on domestic flights will see a significant spike in CO2 emissions equivalent to 2.3 million extra train journeys, analysis by the Liberal Democrats shows. It comes as world leaders meet for today’s crucial COP26 summit and after the Chancellor failed to give a single mention to the word climate in his Budget speech last week. The Liberal Democrats are calling for the Government to cancel the slashing of Air Passenger Duty and invest in zero-carbon domestic flights instead. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that reducing Air Passenger Duty will see an extra 410,000 passenger journeys on internal UK flights. The average UK domestic flight generates 223kg of CO2 equivalent, meaning that this policy will lead to a 91 million kg increase…

01Nov 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

PM needs to start acting like ‘Global Britain’

Parliamentary news

Responding to Boris Johnson's speech at COP26, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Former Secretary of State for Climate Change, Ed Davey MP, said: “Boris Johnson has blustered his way to COP26 and it is starting to show. This is the most important conference to take place on our shores in a generation, and we all need it to succeed. “That means putting aside his differences with other western leaders, particularly our friends across Europe, and working together to force China and others to act. For COP to succeed, the Prime Minister needs to stop just talking about 'Global Britain' and start acting like it. “For a good COP, we need British leadership and united Western pressure on China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. For a bad COP, all we need…

27Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call on energy minister to make COP26 pledge for community energy – power for the people!

Borough news

The Leader of the Oldham Liberal Democrat Group, councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the new Energy Minister asking him to pledge the government’s support for the Local Electricity Bill during COP26. The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. Here the participant nations will agree how to accelerate their actions to address climate change in accordance with their commitments as signatories to the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Councillor Sykes and his Liberal Democrat colleagues wants the new minister, The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently going through Parliament, as a government priority. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “We would like the UK…

26Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats call to save our rivers

Borough news

Oldham Liberal Democrats are calling for the UK Government to do more to improve the water quality of Britain’s rivers as one of their commitments at the upcoming COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow. Crompton Councillor Dave Murphy and Shaw Councillor Hazel Gloster will be proposing a motion to the next meeting of Oldham Council (3 November 2021) highlighting the urgent need for action, after discovering that the borough’s watercourses all failed recent tests for chemical pollution carried out by the Environment Agency and that the rivers Irk and Tame are under real threat. Proposer of the motion, Councillor Murphy said: “It is shocking that in 2019 only 14% of England’s rivers were rated ‘good’ by the Environment Agency, despite Conservative Government promises to improve the quality of watercourses over…

21Oct 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Leaked climate report: Government must cancel oil drilling and Cumbria coal mine

Parliamentary news

Responding to the leaked documents revealing countries lobbying the UN to play down the impact of fossil fuels, Liberal Democrat Climate Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: "These leaks show the Conservatives have their work cut out for them if we're to get a good outcome from COP. It is vital the world moves away from fossil fuels, but it is hardly a shock that countries still dependent on them are trying to play down their significance. "But the Tories are supporting fossil fuel expansion too, from a new coal mine in Cumbria to expanding oil drilling in Surrey. The UK cannot tell other countries to transition away if we're still backing new projects on our doorstep. "Liberal Democrats want a successful COP, but without the cancellation of both these projects…

Tag: COP26