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Putting pressure on the government
We all make an impact on the world and it’s up to every individual to take responsibility for their carbon emissions. However, there are larger forces at work which determine our carbon emissions, from the energy we use to how we travel. We can only make do with what’s available to us, and sometimes our only options are harmful to ourselves and the planet. The government and major corporations hold the power to present us with more sustainable choices and so we need to turn our eyes to them.
Why the government and major corporations are accountable too:
We all need to power our homes, but the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions is the burning of fossil fuels to make electricity. Phasing this out in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, bioenergy, wave and hydroelectricity would lower these emissions significantly. So why aren’t we already using them? The technology required to switch to these energy sources is expensive and requires funding to subsidise resources to make them viable for the public to use. It’s up to us to put pressure on parliament to tackle these issues and get the ball rolling.
How do people have influence over government?
Several campaigns have been highly effective in creating legislation that tackles climate change. In 2005 The Big Ask Campaign was launched with the intention of pressuring the government to implement the Climate Change Bill. The campaign spread awareness by organising events and activities and created a storm. 130,000 people contacted their MP to persuade them to support the bill.
As a result, the government passed The Climate Change Act in 2008. This was the first legally binding climate change target set by any country. The act pledged to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% compared with the levels produced in 1990 through a system of carbon budgets that provide five-year milestones to achieve this. These would be met by making improvements in energy efficiency, investing in low-carbon power generation, moving to electric powered transport and the use of sustainable biofuels. In 2016 the UK also signed up to The Paris Agreement whose goal is to prevent the Earth’s global temperature from rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The goal became even more ambitious:
In 2018, environmental activist Greta Thunberg first began her protest outside the Swedish parliament which quickly gathered support and would go on to become known as Fridays For Future. This gained attention worldwide with demonstrations also taking part in the UK. In this same year, large protests organised by the Extinction Rebellion movement also began to gain numbers. The largest demonstration in the UK was held in London, where more than 1000 people took to the streets at Parliament Square on 31 October to occupy the road in front of the houses of parliament and hear the "Declaration of Rebellion". In November of the same year, protestors blockaded the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. On "Rebellion Day" approximately 6,000 people occupied the River Thames in London which The Guardian described as "one of the biggest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the UK in decades". This made headlines across the country and once again brought the climate crisis to the forefront of everyone’s minds.
The target set out in The Climate Change Act was further improved in 2019 when the UK became the first major economy to commit to becoming ‘net zero’. This requires the UK to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The government explains this means that ‘any emissions would be balanced by schemes to offset an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as planting trees or using technology like carbon capture and storage’. This was undoubtedly at least in part due to the awareness raised by Greta Thunberg and the pressure mounted on parliament by protestors.
Why the government and major corporations are accountable too:
We all need to power our homes, but the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions is the burning of fossil fuels to make electricity. Phasing this out in favour of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, bioenergy, wave and hydroelectricity would lower these emissions significantly. So why aren’t we already using them? The technology required to switch to these energy sources is expensive and requires funding to subsidise resources to make them viable for the public to use. It’s up to us to put pressure on parliament to tackle these issues and get the ball rolling.
How do people have influence over government?
Several campaigns have been highly effective in creating legislation that tackles climate change. In 2005 The Big Ask Campaign was launched with the intention of pressuring the government to implement the Climate Change Bill. The campaign spread awareness by organising events and activities and created a storm. 130,000 people contacted their MP to persuade them to support the bill.
As a result, the government passed The Climate Change Act in 2008. This was the first legally binding climate change target set by any country. The act pledged to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% compared with the levels produced in 1990 through a system of carbon budgets that provide five-year milestones to achieve this. These would be met by making improvements in energy efficiency, investing in low-carbon power generation, moving to electric powered transport and the use of sustainable biofuels. In 2016 the UK also signed up to The Paris Agreement whose goal is to prevent the Earth’s global temperature from rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The goal became even more ambitious:
In 2018, environmental activist Greta Thunberg first began her protest outside the Swedish parliament which quickly gathered support and would go on to become known as Fridays For Future. This gained attention worldwide with demonstrations also taking part in the UK. In this same year, large protests organised by the Extinction Rebellion movement also began to gain numbers. The largest demonstration in the UK was held in London, where more than 1000 people took to the streets at Parliament Square on 31 October to occupy the road in front of the houses of parliament and hear the "Declaration of Rebellion". In November of the same year, protestors blockaded the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy. On "Rebellion Day" approximately 6,000 people occupied the River Thames in London which The Guardian described as "one of the biggest acts of peaceful civil disobedience in the UK in decades". This made headlines across the country and once again brought the climate crisis to the forefront of everyone’s minds.
The target set out in The Climate Change Act was further improved in 2019 when the UK became the first major economy to commit to becoming ‘net zero’. This requires the UK to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The government explains this means that ‘any emissions would be balanced by schemes to offset an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as planting trees or using technology like carbon capture and storage’. This was undoubtedly at least in part due to the awareness raised by Greta Thunberg and the pressure mounted on parliament by protestors.
Moving forward:
In August 2020, the Climate and Ecological Emergency bill was launched. The CEE bill was written by scientists, lawyers and activists. This bill wants government to also take into consideration the emissions caused by imports and the production chain of the goods we consume which come from overseas. The campaign is urging us to contact our local members of parliament to ask them to support this new bill and get it passed.
What can we do now?
●Take a good look at the manifesto of political parties. Which ones have policies regarding the environment and a good track record of implementing them? Take
this into consideration when voting.
●Take part in protests and campaigns. You don’t have to travel far - check your local area. Many of these have social media groups and operate even in small towns and villages.
●Write to your MP to ask them for support in the CEE bill and any future environmental legislation.
●Support companies that make ethical choices and are committed to lowering and offsetting their emissions.
The UK’s government has shown great willingness to take responsibility for its carbon footprint. Now it just needs to stick to its promises. We need to serve as a reminder as to how important this issue is by making noise if they don’t meet their targets, encouraging them to make new ones and understanding how these changes are going to affect us all for the better.
In August 2020, the Climate and Ecological Emergency bill was launched. The CEE bill was written by scientists, lawyers and activists. This bill wants government to also take into consideration the emissions caused by imports and the production chain of the goods we consume which come from overseas. The campaign is urging us to contact our local members of parliament to ask them to support this new bill and get it passed.
What can we do now?
●Take a good look at the manifesto of political parties. Which ones have policies regarding the environment and a good track record of implementing them? Take
this into consideration when voting.
●Take part in protests and campaigns. You don’t have to travel far - check your local area. Many of these have social media groups and operate even in small towns and villages.
●Write to your MP to ask them for support in the CEE bill and any future environmental legislation.
●Support companies that make ethical choices and are committed to lowering and offsetting their emissions.
The UK’s government has shown great willingness to take responsibility for its carbon footprint. Now it just needs to stick to its promises. We need to serve as a reminder as to how important this issue is by making noise if they don’t meet their targets, encouraging them to make new ones and understanding how these changes are going to affect us all for the better.
