A petition signed by Chelmsford climate change campaigners has been formally presented to the House of Commons by local MP, Vicky Ford.
The petition which was started by Mrs Ford with other MPs, backs Britain's bid to host the 2020 Global Climate Conference and called for people from across the country to urge the Government to ensure the UK hosts next year’s conference.
Schools across Chelmsford took up the petition, and one in particular, the Our Lady Immaculate Primary School in Chelmsford, gathered an impressive 122 signatures.
Britain is bidding against other nations to host the climate change summit, expected to be the most important since 2015 when the Paris Agreement was signed, as part of the government’s commitment to its global leadership on climate change.
After MPs from across the country had presented signatures to the House of Commons news was received that Italy had withdrawn from the race to be the host of next year’s global gathering, boosting Britain’s chances. Italy, who was considered a leading bidder, has offered to host a pre-conference instead.
Speaking after presenting her petition Mrs Ford, who has been campaigning on environmental issues for over a decade, said: “In the last General Election in 2017, more people wrote to me about the environment and animal welfare than all other issues put together. Protecting the environment is a top priority for me and we must take action to address climate change. Thank you to all the Chelmsford signatories who helped send a clear message that Britain should host of this important global conference”.
Mrs Ford was one of 10 MPs who sponsored the recent Climate Change (Net Zero UK Carbon Account) Bill in Parliament requiring the Government to commit to a 'net zero' by 2050. This is now government policy.
