Derek Thomas MP is hosting a meeting of West Cornwall’s Climate Focus group on to hear about the Net Zero Test.
The Climate Focus group – organised by Derek, Pippa Stilwell, the WI’s Climate Ambassador, and Green Mayor of Penzance, Cllr Jonathan How – has been holding webinars to learn about action being taken locally and nationally to tackle the climate crisis.
Next week’s meeting, to be held online on Wednesday 18 January at 5pm, will hear from Ellie Savage from Hope for the Future and Rick Parfett from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) about the Net Zero Test.
“Net Zero” refers to the state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere – meaning that global warming stops. Net zero is the internationally agreed upon goal for mitigating global warming in the second half of the century.
The UK was the first major economy in the world to pass laws to reach Net Zero by 2050, and it remains one of the most ambitious targets in the world.
The cross-party Climate Change Committee, which recommended the adoption of this target, also recommended a “Net Zero Test”, to ensure ministerial decisions are compatible with the long-term climate commitment. While the emissions impact of individual policies can be assessed, there is no official methodology for ascertaining the climate effect of total spending.
Rick Parfett is a Senior Climate Change Specialist at WWF, which developed a “Net Zero Test” to help government target investment towards green infrastructure, and away from carbon emissions.
Ellie Savage is a Political Researcher at Hope For the Future, a charity which equips campaigners and groups across the country to communicate the climate emergency with their local politicians, so that communities and their elected representatives across the UK come together to take decisive action on climate change.
Derek says:
“The Government is committed to reaching Net Zero by 2050.
"This is an ambitious target – and we need the tools to check that spending as a whole is on track. I’ll be fascinated to hear how WWF developed their test, and how we can use it to scrutinise the environmental impact of Government spending.
“Government expenditure represents about 45% of the UK’s economy, so it’s absolutely vital that it is spent in a way that aligns with our Net Zero ambition.”
Please note, this webinar will be recorded.
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