John Whitby

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It is a pleasure to serve, Mr Twigg. I thank the hon. Member for Bristol Central (Carla Denyer) for securing this important debate. Indeed, no debate is more important than one that discusses the consequences of our heating climate. In the Derbyshire Dales, the climate crisis is no longer something happening elsewhere or something for future generations. Over the summer, I spoke to anxious residents in Thorpe who were terrified of a wildfire occurring at Dovedale. I spoke to farmers having to use their winter stores to feed their livestock. I have been to six showings of the “People’s Emergency Briefing”, each of which was packed out, showing the level of concern. That concern is reflected by the latest science. The global temperature has increased by 0.4°C in the last decade alone. We all know that we have unofficially already breached 1.5°C. This summer has made the climate emergency very real. The National Heat Risk Commission estimated that the week commencing 22 June alone cost the economy £1.15 billion in lost output. That could potentially rise to £25 billion a year by 2030.

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