MP Philip Dunne to join experts for climate change panel
South Shropshire MP Philip Dunne will join a range of experts later this month for panel on climate change.
Environmental group Time is Now from Bishop's Castle has organised the event to to gauge public opinion about their understanding of the climate crisis and to inform them of the actions they, the government, businesses and organisations at all levels need to take.
The emphasis will be on local actions initially but the intention, according to the group, is to influence county wide climate change mitigation policies through a seminar organised by Mr Dunne in the spring, with a further target of feeding into the COP26 meeting in Glasgow in December 2020.
Mr Dunne, who is on the environment select committee, said: "There is growing interest in and awareness of the urgency of challenges posed by climate change. The UK has taken a global lead in cutting emissions and legislating to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
"Shropshire Council has declared a climate emergency and many groups and local communities are trying to find ways to help achieve these aims and go further faster.
"I am pleased to be working with environmental groups across south Shropshire in helping organise this event."
Speakers will include Dr Kuriakose from the Tyndall Centre on climate science, Hugo Spowers from Riversimple and Professor John Whitelegg on transport, Jeremy Thorp from Sharenergy on eenewables, local organic farmer James Evans from Partridge Farm, as well as an NFU representative.
David Luckhurst from Time Is Now said: "Declaring a climate emergency is only the first, easy step and any policies must also include tackling the threat to the natural world, and to us, of biodiversity loss, where over a million species are threatened with extinction.
"Current actions and targets by local and national governments are simply not enough and the UK is not on track to meet it’s 2050 target of net zero emissions without drastic change at every level.
"We want to provide the opportunity for the public and local organisations to come together and agree on the course of actions needed by everyone over the next few years, if we are to avoid catastrophic climate and ecological breakdown."
It takes place between 6pm and 9pn on November 28 at Craven Arms Community Centre. Entry is free but space is limited and can be booked online at lightfootenergy.org.uk/welcome/time-is-now or by calling 01588 680250.
