Keeping climate change and nature on the political agenda

ON Wednesday, I joined thousands of people from across 140 organisations to support the #ActNowChangeForever Mass Lobby of Parliament coordinated by the Climate Coalition.

- By ERIN MCDAID

Over 5,000 people registered in support of the lobby and people travelled from all over the UK to meet with their MPs to highlight the need for urgent action on climate change and to restore nature.

Whilst environmental issues seem less dominant in the media than they were just a couple of years ago, a national poll in May found that over half of adults taking part (53%) selected climate change and the environment as a key issue facing the UK. Wednesday's lobby therefore provided a timely opportunity to remind MPs just how many voters care.

The timing of the lobby coincided with the State Visit to the UK by President Macron of France. It was interesting that in his address to MPs in Parliament the day before the lobby, he highlighted that Climate and Biodiversity was one of the three main issues that our nations needed to work together to provide leadership on.

Hopefully, a speech by a world leader, followed by constituents descending on Parliament the very next day to highlight the need for local as well as global action will have helped ram the point home that these issues cannot be ignored.