Soaring temperatures worldwide, flash flooding and increasing numbers of wildfires. These are just a few ecological disasters we are seeing as a result of climate change. It is painfully obvious we must act. Locally we have seen extreme weather events such as with recent flooding.

We need to be ambitious. It is only by working with every single nation across the globe that we can hope to take on this challenge. Climate inaction is simply unacceptable. As president of COP 26, we should lead by example. The UK can lead the world in climate policy. We are hosting the UN Climate Conference (COP 26) in November 2021. We must lead the world to do what is required: limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. However, the Conservatives are delaying action on climate change.

They have failed to provide us with a plan to reach net zero emissions. We have watched as they have slashed incentives to switch to electric cars or upgrade homes for greater energy efficiency. Climate inaction is simply unacceptable. As president of COP 26, we should lead by example. Coming out of COP26, we want to see a major shift in energy consumption from fossil fuels to green alternatives.

Locally Mid Sussex District Council needs to lead the way and set its own targets for zero-carbon and to encourage and promote the adoption by businesses and residents of their own targets. We have a District Plan that allows developers to get away with minimal sustainable design requirements and build new houses and offices without targets to reduce carbon emissions or provide onsite renewable energy generation. We need more detailed planning guidance to require developers to estimate baseline energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions, and to commit to emission savings from energy efficiency measures and renewable energy micro-generation incorporated into the development.

At Liberal Democrat conference today, our members voted overwhelmingly in favour of protecting our planet. Here is what we want to do:
Lead with ambition and help all countries aspire to the 1.5 degrees limit for global warming
Keeping our 100bn a year pledge to low and middle-income countries to help with decarbonisation
Increase taxes and VAT on carbon-based activities such as first and business class flights. This will act as an incentive to switch to cleaner alternatives.
Introduce a protection and compensation package for those countries most likely to be worst affected by climate change.
Call for international agreements to phase out coal and protect our forests and work with the EU Carbon Trading System
Read our new policy on COP26
Read our new policy on Carbon Pricing
Using carbon has a price. We want to ensure that the price is fair to individuals and businesses and targets the biggest polluters.
We cannot continue as we are. The damage to our planet has already been done. We must all change our behaviour, change our economy and save our environment.