Calling MPs of all stripes: Our planet is counting on your vote on the Climate and Nature Bill

As we step into the New Year, this is the perfect moment to embrace a legislative beacon of hope for us all – the Climate and Nature Bill – which I’m advancing through parliament. Big Issue has long championed the causes that matter most to those on the frontlines of change, and I believe that the ‘CAN Bill’, which I’m proud to say is backed by your founder, Lord Bird, represents an essential step towards a sustainable and just future for all.

The bill is not just a piece of legislation, but a manifesto for our planet’s future. As one of its champions, Alex Sobel MP wrote for Big Issue that its central objective is to tackle the intertwined crises of global warming and biodiversity loss together. We cannot address one without the other. They’re two sides of the same coin. And if we’re to have any hope of tackling runaway climate change, we must pull out all the stops to halt (and crucially reverse) nature’s destruction.

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Friday 24 January is set for the second reading of the bill. This is its major debate and its first, pivotal, vote. Zero Hour campaigners are working hard to ensure that enough MPs turn up and vote to progress it on its journey; which, for a Friday, will be no mean feat. I’m delighted that close to 200 MPs are on board, but 200 other Labour MPs are not (yet) with us. In the spirit of making New Year resolutions, here’s my pitch to them.

The CAN Bill aligns perfectly with Labour’s core values. Ultimately, it’s about social justice. Climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our society; those in poverty, and those living in areas prone to flooding or extreme heat. By supporting the bill, Labour MPs can better protect these communities, which is at the heart of what Keir Starmer’s party stands for.

Following the advice of scientists, the CAN Bill calls for legally binding targets to reverse biodiversity loss – and to deliver a 1.5°C-aligned emissions reduction plan – which translates into real-world benefits for their constituents. Cleaner air, cheaper energy bills, cleaner rivers, safer homes, a healthier population, delivered via a just transition that leaves no one, and no community, behind.

My proposed legislation also promises to be a job creator. Labour has always been the party of workers, and here lies an opportunity to drive employment in the UK’s budding green sectors. From renewable energy to sustainable agriculture, these are jobs of the future: high-quality, well-paid and resilient to global economic shifts. By voting for the CAN Bill, which is backed by unions across the UK, Labour MPs can speed up the plan to build an economy that works for the many, not the few. 

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It would also strengthen the international standing of Britain. Labour has historically been a party of internationalism, and by supporting the bill, they can truly lead the way in global climate and nature action. Passing a Climate and Nature Act would demonstrate that the UK is not just responding to climate change and nature’s breakdown, but actively shaping the response that’s needed. Supporting “the Climate Change Act we need” – as ex-Tory energy minister and net-zero tsar Chris Skidmore calls the bill – Labour’s leadership can be a beacon for other nations to follow. 

The CAN Bill proposes the creation of a citizens’ assembly to help set the direction we need. This assembly would ensure that the voices of citizens, including those from marginalised communities, are front and centre in shaping UK climate and environmental policy (an idea also proposed via the Big Issue-led Future Generations Bill). Yes, we need to get our skates on following years of delay but as the old African saying goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

Let’s not forget the health benefits either. Poor air quality, the result of governments’ addition to fossil fuels, affects Britain’s most deprived areas the most, and contributes to higher rates of respiratory diseases and lower life expectancies. The CAN Bill’s push for cleaner air through reduced emissions directly translates into better public health. 

There’s another strategic advantage, which applies to MPs from all parties. Environmental issues are no longer niche. They resonate with the electorate, and particularly the younger demographic. By voting for the CAN Bill on 24 January, MPs of all stripes can show that they’re serious about regaining trust from voters who see environmental action as a priority. 

And so as we start 2025, let’s not just resolve to make small changes in our personal lives, important as they are. Let’s strive to work together to drive a monumental change for our country, and for the planet. As for New Year resolutions, I’m hoping Labour MPs will make a straightforward pledge: to turn up and vote. With your help, we can make sure that they do. 

Roz Savage is the Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds. Email your MP and ask them to vote for the Climate and Nature Bill on 24 January. Support the campaign at Zero Hour.

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