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South West MPs lead way in climate change battle

Amidst another week of climate change headlines, MPs from around the region are supporting the South West’s flagship initiative to reduce global warming – Fair Shares, Fair Choice.

Thirteen MPs (full list below) have now signed up to the principle of ‘a globally fair and safe carbon share for everyone.’ The first MP from each of the main parties to endorse the initiative was, Martin Horwood – Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham, Kerry McCarthy - Labour MP for Bristol East and Anthony Steen -  Conservative MP for Totnes, South Devon.

The Fair Shares, Fair Choice initiative is coordinated by Sustainability South West – the region’s independent Champion Body for Sustainability. The charity’s Chair Julian Dennis, Director of Compliance and Sustainability at Wessex Water, explains “The growing response from our MPs shows that acting together to reduce dangerous climate change is more important than party politics. We suspect that our region is ahead of the pack - after all, those of us living in this special region understand just how important environmental assets are to everyone’s social and economic well being. MPs are joining residents, climate change experts, celebrities, public sector agencies, voluntary sector and business organisations, who are supporting Fair Shares, Fair Choice and making climate positive choices for a more resilient future. It would be fantastic to secure the support of all our MPs to show that the South West leads the rest.” 

Fair Shares, Fair Choice supporter Mark Lynas, author and climate change campaigner, says “Joining the Fair Shares, Fair Choice movement is a fantastic way to support real progress on cutting CO2 emissions. A personal carbon budget gives us a realistic idea about what we each need to do to help avert the extremes of climate change.”

Martin Horwood MP agrees that Fair Shares, Fair Choice is an “excellent” resource.

Kerry McCarthy MP also supports action on climate change, "I welcome the fact that the Labour Government is introducing a Climate Change Bill - the first of its kind in the world. This will make the UK the first country to set a legal framework for reducing emissions. The revised Bill is stronger than its earlier version, and I hope that it will be strengthened further as it goes through Parliament. I also hope this sets an example for other countries to follow. We also need individuals to do their bit, and reduce their own carbon footprints by making small lifestyle changes, which is why I'm supporting the Fair Shares, Fair Choice initiative."

Anthony Steen MP expresses the reality of unsustainable living, "It is a disturbing reality that if everyone in the world lived as we do in the UK, we would need three planets worth of resources to support us!  Whilst access to cheap oil has allowed the economy to grow year by year, when cheap oil is no longer available – what prospects then? It fuels not just our cars but our lifestyles.  With climate change leading the global action agenda, we must consider life after oil. I therefore support strong climate law and was amongst those MPs who called for a Climate Change Bill last year. The Conservative Party has consistently advocated binding annual targets for the reduction of carbon emissions and we continue to press the Government to take radical action to tackle climate change."

The full list of MPs supporting Fair Shares, Fair Choice is:

Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat, Cheltenham
Matthew Taylor, Liberal Democrat, Truro & St Austell
Don Foster, Liberal Democrat, Bath
Steve Webb, Liberal Democrat, Northavon
Nick Harvey, Liberal Democrat, Devon North
Adrian Sanders, Liberal Democrat, Torbay
Andrew George, Liberal Democrat, St Ives
Kerry McCarthy, Labour, Bristol East
Anne Snelgrove, Labour, South Swindon
Roger Berry, Labour, Kingswood
David Drew, Labour and Co-operative, Stroud
Anthony Steen, Conservative, Totnes
Robert Key, Conservative, Salisbury