This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Petition Protect the Environment – support carbon neutral energy alternatives
In November 2019, Members of the UK Youth Parliament, sitting in the House of Commons voted “Protect the Environment” as its campaigning priority for this year.
We are calling for the Government to ban fracking, end the mining of fossil fuels and instead support carbon neutral energy alternatives.
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To preserve this world for the next generation, we have a moral responsibility to protect it from the effects of Climate Change. Climate change is a problem than will affect young people more than any other generation.
Right now, the Government are not protecting the environment in the way that is necessary for young people and the next generation.
This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months
Related activity
Tell MPs what you think about the Climate Assembly’s recommendations for net-zero emissions
MPs from six select committees of the House of Commons joined together to set up a citizens’ assembly on climate change to look at how the UK should reach its commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Climate Assembly UK brought together 108 people from across the UK. Together they were representative of the wider UK population in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, where in the UK they live, whether they live in an urban or rural area, and how concerned they are about climate change.
They worked together to create recommendations to Government.
How can you help?
MPs want to know what you and your communities think about the recommendations made by the assembly.
Discuss these questions with your school, workplace, family or community group and submit a joint response. It’s a great opportunity to hear others’ views on these issues and to share the outcomes of your discussions with MPs.
Share your answers via this online survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/A464RU/
Please return your responses by Friday 20th November 2020.
Read more about the Assembly and its recommendations: https://www.ukparliamentweek.org/en/blog/tell-the-climate-assembly-what-your-group-thinks-about-their-recommendations/
Information provided in the survey will be used to inform the select committees’ ongoing work on net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
What is a Select Committee?
Select Committees are cross-party groups of MPs. They are independent of the Government.
Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c
MPs debate the decarbonisation of transport
On 16 June, MPs debated the Government’s transport decarbonisation plan. The debate was led by Felicity Buchan MP, and took place in Westminster Hall.
During the debate, MPs discussed electric vehicles, charge point networks, battery recycling and mandating charge point networks in new homes. MPs also discussed decarbonising public transport including buses, aviation, shipping and rail.
Find links to watch the debate, read the transcript and access other relevant material here: https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/transport-decarbonisation-plan-/index.html
What are Westminster Hall debates?
Westminster Hall is the second Chamber of the House of Commons.
Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Any MP can take part in a Westminster Hall debate.
Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'.
MPs publish report following findings of Climate Assembly UK
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee (a group of MPs who scrutinise the work of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) published a report last month on how the Government has responded to the UK's first citizens' assembly on climate change.
In the report MPs on the Committee said that the Government should follow the principles set out by Climate Assembly UK and ensure fairness underpins the transition to net zero.
Read an interactive summary of the report:
https://houseofcommons.shorthandstories.com/climate-assembly-beis-committee/index.html
Read the full report:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5802/cmselect/cmbeis/546/54602.htm
The Committee’s report, ‘Climate Assembly UK: where are we now?’, makes a series of recommendations to Government on public engagement and education, on deliberative democracy, and on the net zero transition, in order to capitalise on the work of Climate Assembly UK (CAUK).
The report urges the Government to come forward with the Net Zero Review as a matter of priority, and to do so along with the Net Zero Strategy, to ensure there is genuine consultation and engagement with the public, businesses and industry to drive forward efforts to decarbonise.
Climate Assembly UK
Climate Assembly UK (CAUK) was the first UK-wide citizens’ assembly on climate change, called by six Select Committees of the House of Commons to examine potential pathways to achieve the Government’s net zero target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The outcomes of the Assembly’s discussions were presented in a report published last September, which you can read here: https://www.climateassembly.uk/report/
What happens next?
The Government now must respond to the Committee's report, which was published on 8 July 2021, within two months. The Committee will publish the Government’s response here: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/365/business-energy-and-industrial-strategy-committee/
What is the BEIS Committee?
The BEIS Committee is a cross-party group of MPs who scrutinise the policy, spending and administration of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its public bodies, including Ofgem, the Financial Reporting Council and the Climate Change Committee. The Committee is independent of the Government.
Follow the Committee on Twitter for updates on its work: https://twitter.com/CommonsBEIS
The BEIS Committee is a select committee. Find out how Select Committees work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_2RDuDs44c