Today, I joined young people in Brixton to call for urgent action to save our planet, as part of the global climate strike. Millions of people in 139 countries are striking from school and work to demand that their governments act to prevent catastrophic climate change. We are already seeing the effects of global heating with extreme weather events, dramatic losses in biodiversity, and rising sea levels.

Scientists agree that to stop warming beyond 1.5C we must reach net-zero emissions by 2050. However, even this small temperature increase would be devastating for our environment. We need to be bolder and urgently transition away from the use of fossil fuels and lead the rest of the world in fighting climate change.

At Labour Party Conference this coming week, I will be supporting proposals to introduce a Green New Deal for our economy. I will also be speaking on panels throughout the week to discuss how we can tackle both the climate crisis and the housing crisis through zero carbon homes and sustainable development and the urgent action we need to improve air quality.