Helen Hayes

I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate on behalf of my constituents, who want to see our Government continuing to take the strongest possible approach to the climate emergency and continuing to show leadership on the global stage. We are debating these issues as communities across our country are gathering to watch the national emergency briefing on the climate emergency. I have already attended a number of screenings of it, and I will attend another in my constituency next week. The briefing has been prepared by climate scientists and it is stark. I have not heard any dissent from this science. We are already in the danger zone of global warming significantly above 1.5°. The climate destabilisation that follows from this level of global warming will bring chaos and hardship to every corner of the globe. It is already happening. The bleakest statement from the scientists in the film is that our current climate, which is characterised by increasing floods, heatwaves and storms, is as good as we will know in our lifetime.