Friday, January 24, 2025
Will Labour kill off the landmark climate and nature bill?
The paper says that supporters of the climate and nature bill, introduced by the Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage, say Labour have insisted on the removal of clauses that would require the UK to meet the targets it agreed to at Cop and other international summits:
Although it is a private member’s bill, more than 80 Labour MPs, including several ministers, had publicly signed up to support it.
Some Labour MPs have been ordered to attend the bill’s second reading on Friday morning and to prepare speeches, to deliberately make it run out of time and avoid a vote. Another possibility would be a three-line whip to vote against the bill, leaving any rebels at risk of disciplinary action, including losing the party whip.
Nature and climate charities say the bill would introduce vital steps to tackle nature depletion and the climate crisis. Photograph: Alan Novelli/Alamy A Downing Street spokesperson said the government’s position “will be set out at second reading”.
Nature and climate charities have urged ministers to adopt Savage’s bill, saying it would introduce vital concrete steps to tackle nature depletion and the climate crisis.
Savage, the South Cotswolds MP who is also an environmental activist and a former ocean rower, came third in September’s ballot for private member’s bills, meaning she would almost certainly get enough parliamentary time for it to pass with Labour support.
However, talks stalled over Labour’s insistence at removing the parts of the bill that would make it legally binding for ministers to meet the targets signed up for in international treaties.
Supporters of the bill believed this was too big a compromise and would make the bill largely pointless. They sought to negotiate again with Labour whips, but were told there would be no concessions, it is understood.
As late as Thursday afternoon there were last-ditch efforts to find a compromise, including talks with Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary. But for now, Labour MPs remain instructed to sink the bill.
This bill is the first real test of this government's commitment to tackling climate change. Will they flunk it?
