Pledges: Environment
#8 in my Pledges series
On this topic I have had a huge number of emails and requests from many wonderful organisations! I’ve heard from Climate.Cymru, Friends of the Earth, Teach the Future, Rewilding Britain, Trash Free Trails, Ramblers, and many more!
If you prefer, you can jump straight to my answers.
A Selection Of The Emails:
This time I will put together text from different sources, to merge the topics together, and then combine all my answers into one as well. First, Friends of the Earth:
The desperate need for stronger, faster environmental action cannot be stressed enough. That’s why I’m writing to you as my potential next MP.
Nature, jobs and even lives are hanging in the balance. Nationally and across our constituency too. In Dwyfor Meirionnydd, sewage spilled into local waterways for 112,511 hours in 2023, and nationally there were over 563,000 sewage spills in 2023 - threatening wildlife and public health too. Dwyfor Meirionnydd has 26,500 homes needing energy efficiency improvements to ensure people aren’t struggling with cold homes and unaffordable bills. Levels of NO2 are below World Health Organisation guidelines in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, but in England and Wales there are 1,603 schools in areas where it is twice safe levels. And 8% of the population live in flood risk areas. This data is taken from the Friends of the Earth State of the Environment report, you can find data for our constituency in full here.
From sewage dumping to cold homes to unsafe air, how do you plan to improve things if elected? How will you stand up for environmental justice locally and beyond? I don’t want to see vulnerable communities or nature suffer because of government failures. In our constituency, I don’t want to see communities left behind from a lack of green investment.
I want you to know that me – and thousands like me – will be voting with commitments to climate and nature in mind.
We know there are solutions to our nature, climate and cost-of-living crises and we know they’re in reach right now. From home-grown renewables to home insulation to getting businesses to clean up their act. If elected, you must stand up for interventions that protect people and planet from climate breakdown before it’s too late.
Then Rewilding Britain:
The next UK parliament is a critical one for nature, people and the planet. We must reverse the decline of our natural world.
I need you as my next representative to commit to prioritising nature’s recovery. I believe we need to dedicate 30% of our land and seas to rewilding by 2030. There can be no half measures in our transition to what should be a nature-rich, low-carbon future.
Currently the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, a figure that places us in the bottom 10% of countries in the world. With one in six species in Britain at threat of extinction, there is no time to lose. The good news is there is hope and we can halt and then start to reverse nature’s decline. To do this we need to rewild and do so at scale.
The benefits of backing this rewilding transition are immense; from a Britain more resilient to floods and extreme heat, to thriving wildlife, vibrant local green economies, improved job opportunities and more nature-based volunteering. From healthier air, water and soils to improved public health and wellbeing, we need this radical new approach to once again thrive.
1% of Britain’s land is already rewilding and we need each political party to step up and commit to delivering nature’s recovery at pace. Will you as my next representative pledge to join me and support this change Britain needs?
Please join me in supporting the Rewilding Manifesto and commit to delivering it in the next parliament.
The Ramblers:
Opening up access to the outdoors will enrich everyone’s lives and boost the nation’s health and wellbeing. But too many people are unable to access nature as part of their daily lives.
So I’m calling on you as a prospective parliamentary candidate for my area to champion an Access to Nature Bill, should you become my MP.
Evidence proves that access to nature is good for our mental and physical health, for the economic benefits it brings to local economies and in fostering a sense of responsibility for the natural world.
But almost 21 million people in England live more than 15 minutes’ walk from green and blue spaces, many disabled people are prevented from getting outdoors because of unnecessary barriers, and recent estimates suggest that the path network is blocked in over 32,000 places in part because of years of underfunding.
As someone who’s passionate about access to the outdoors, I believe new legislation is required in the next parliament to tackle these persistent problems. As the Ramblers have proposed, an Access to Nature Bill would break down barriers to the outdoors and radically improve access to nature across England. It would:
1. Create access to nature close to home, by expanding the freedom to roam and creating green walking routes in every city in England
2. Unleash the potential of the paths and access network, by creating a more accessible and inclusive path network and ending the threat to unrecorded public rights of way
3. Build a plan for the future, by setting legally binding targets for access to nature and securing future investment
Once you have given this matter your careful consideration, I’d be grateful if you could share your thoughts on whether you will support this important proposal, which will benefit constituents locally and beyond.
As a local candidate, can I count on your public support (and that of your party) for an Access to Nature Bill?
Trash Free Trails:
I'll keep it as brief as possible - we're launching a General Election campaign this evening inviting candidates to make a pledge to be 'The Voice For Our Trails' if elected to parliament.
Our community's concerns for the welfare of our wild places is reflective of wider society - 81% of adults are worried about threats to nature in the UK. We're asking candidates to commit to advocating for nature if elected to the House in July. This is not only vital work to restore our natural landscapes, but also showcases to your constituents your commitment to protect them.
As someone who "dreams of better worlds" and a fellow environmental campaigner - we would be honoured if you'd make this pledge as part of your own campaign, showcasing to your community your commitment to protect nature in Bangor Aberconwy.
Finally, Teach the Future:
I am writing to you to express my concern regarding the current state of climate education in the UK, and would like to know how you intend to improve this if you are elected as an MP.
To demonstrate your level of ambition for climate education, I kindly request that you fill in Teach the Future’s climate education report card. The report card form asks you about:
the integration of climate change across the curriculum
a solutions-focused approach to climate education
teacher training on climate education
making school buildings more sustainable.
Volunteers from the youth-led climate education organisation, Teach the Future will be collating answers from parliamentary candidates across the UK and displaying the responses on their website.
By completing the form, you will send a clear message to your constituents that you recognise the importance of climate education and are prepared to take actionable steps to ensure it is prioritized. This will inspire confidence in voters who are deeply concerned about environmental issues.
My Thoughts
I’ve been a vegan environmental activist since 1989, so environmental topics are my life. I’ve been campaigning on green issues all that time, from global ones to more local ones such as protecting green spaces or removing fly-tipped rubbish from the river. Earlier this week I met a local Climate Officer (you can read about it here).
I’ve been a member of FOE, WWF, Greenpeace and many other organisations, doing door-to-door collections as funding drives, writing letters and lobbying politicians, and acting as a local representative in some cases (I was even on the university’s Environmental Committee when I was an undergraduate, and we had a number of wins, such as getting recycle bins placed outside the student’s union). And I always raise environmental topics when I am interviewed or writing articles – there's a fun one from 2007 here, where Ethical Consumer calculated my household’s Carbon Footprint.
Beyond me as a person, the Greens are aligned with these goals, and our manifesto matches – well, sometimes exceeds! – many of the requests. We have policies on pollution, wildlife, energy efficiency, and many more. Here are quick links to key section summaries:
In terms of energy and renewables, I put some of my thoughts in the post about fossil fuels here, but if you look around my site you’ll see that I cover these topics again and again, including in my news and views summaries.
Rewilding is absolutely vital as a means of restoring what humans have destroyed (animals, plants, and whole ecosystems). It requires the development of new, positive attitudes. I always talk about how many views seen as “traditional” are actually denatured. Most hillsides would have been covered in woodland at one point, and it is only human deforestation and settlement/infrastructure expansion that destroyed it. And I have been lucky enough to see elements of rewilding, such as a beaver reintroduction in Ceredigion, which was amazing.
I am happy to champion an Access to Nature Bill. To ensure our connection to nature we need to ensure that we protect it and the Green Party are also committed to 30 by 30; giving 30% of our land and sea back to nature by 2030. Our manifesto shows our commitment to passing a Right to Roam Act. The Green Party recognises that access to nature is essential for human health and well-being. A new Act for would enable people to access green space close to where they live and be a first step to resetting our relationship with the natural world. This would be based on the model in Scotland and include sensible exceptions, such as fields where crops are growing. This would be accompanied by a renewed and strengthened Countryside Code which clearly sets out rights and responsibilities when accessing nature.
In terms of climate education, I fully support the goals (with one small caveat), as you can tell from the answers I entered as a pledge:
"Do you support the integration of climate change throughout every subject"
Yes, wherever it fits naturally. Everything is connected, and I can see it dovetailing with so much. I remember studying geology at university, and there was a whole module on resource extraction that hardly touched on the topic of climate change! Another example: war is one of the most harmful human actions (in many ways), yet history and politics overlook that angle - it's an example of how climate change does tie in to every subject.
"Do you support teaching on solutions for climate change, as well as the causes and impacts?"
Yes, because we need to equip the next generation with the skills and knowledge to undo the harm caused by previous generations.
"Do you support more training for all teachers around the climate crisis?"
Of course. They need it so they can teach it effectively.
"Do you support more money being spent on upgrading schools to being carbon neutral?"
Generally yes, or at least, being less harmful to the environment. Carbon emissions are only one issue amongst hundreds, and they are all interconnected. I don't support reducing carbon emissions at the expense of using environmentally harmful products, for example. The whole environmental impact needs looking at, not just one aspect.
"Do you support more green skills being taught in job-related education?"
Definitely! I foresee them becoming ever more important.
I hope that reassures you that I am 100% green at heart. It is the only reason I am standing as a candidate! I want to be a thorn in the side of all those who take our planet (and all that lives upon it) for granted. We do not own it, we are caretakers, and should leave nothing but footprints.
Promoted by Karl Drinkwater (Green Party) at The Gate, Keppoch Street, Cardiff CF24 3JW.
And I hope you mention something about working for peace in there, Karl, since war is devastating for our environment.