“The CEE Bill – a chance to make a difference”, say campaigners

A BANNER encouraging residents to support the new Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill was displayed near Frome Library on March 26th and 27th.

Local volunteers erected the banner and distributed pre-printed postcards – one of which will be sent to  local MP David Warburton requesting that he support the Private Members Bill which was tabled by Caroline Lucas and is due a delayed second reading. 

The postcards communicate the depth of opinion regarding the slow pace of change and lack of action on the climate emergency.

Volunteer, Mary Taylor, said, “The CEE Bill is necessary, in addition to government plans for the Environment Bill and Agriculture Bill and existing 2008 Climate Change Act.

Why?  Mary explains:

• The Bill has been written by climate scientists.

• The situation is an emergency i.e considerably more urgent than government has acknowledged and planned for – obliging the government to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero at a rate that limits post industrial global warming to 1.5 degrees c, as outlined in 2016 Paris Agreement. Current government plans, according to its own advisory committee, are nowhere near on target.

• The Bill explicitly connects climate change with ecological breakdown and biodiversity loss  The Bill highlights how we’re damaging nature through our supply chains and legislates to restore and conserve natural carbon sinks such as woodlands, peat bogs, healthy soils and sea grasses.

• The Bill ensures UK’s carbon footprint is calculated accurately reckoning all international and off-shore uses including ex/imports … not done at present.

• The Bill ensures ordinary people have a say in designing a legally binding strategy for achieving the Paris Agreement targets, through a national Citizens’ Assembly.”