Net Zero Campaign

Alex was responsible for the Government’s commitment to the Net Zero carbon emissions target.

He tabled a Ten Minute Rule Bill seeking to enshrine in law that the UK reaches a net zero carbon account by 2050.

During his speech in Parliament, Alex said: “Climate change is not some theoretical future possibility – it is a present reality. 

“The five warmest years in recorded history have been since 2010. Easter Monday was the hottest on record. This January Australia experienced its warmest month ever, with power stations forced to shut down. Last year wildfires broke out in the Arctic Circle.

“We can choose to dismiss these events as a coincidence. We can ignore the fact that they have taken place alongside soaring levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Or we can listen to the overwhelming majority of climate science which concludes that the evidence of humankind’s influence on the climate is now unanswerable.

“This Bill will limit the UK’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. If passed, we would become the first nation in the G20 to enshrine this target in law, showing radical leadership to the rest of the world. Our country may only be responsible for around one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but we have a responsibility to act. 

“The time for action is now. We must protect Planet A because there is no Planet B.

"We have a tradition of global leadership too. The Climate Change Act 2008 was pioneering legislation which mandated the reduction of emissions by 80% on 1990 levels. As a result carbon emissions have dropped by 42% - the best performance, according to PWC, of any major economy. "

Alex’s Bill received cross-party support and received Royal Assent in 2019 as the Government has committed the UK to the Net Zero carbon emissions target.