Cat Smith MP: Climate Timeline

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Cat Smith's Climate-related Tweets, Speeches & Votes

We've found the following climate-related tweets, speeches & votes by Cat Smith

• 14 Nov 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  There was nothing in the King’s Speech about housing and housing shortages. I have been meeting housing advisers in my own constituency, and I know, for instance, that housing allowance continuing not to rise with costs has caused an enormous increase in the already rising number of cases of homelessness. This used not to be a problem in my part of Lancashire, but we are seeing a vast number of families being made homeless by section 21 no fault evictions and rents rising at a record rate. The only thing I can see coming from this Government on housing is allowing landlords to do a net zero U-turn to keep energy-efficient homes there for tenants, but all the while we have seen a 50% rise in the cost to local authorities of addressing things such as homelessness.

  Full debate: Economic Growth

• 23 Jul 2023: Tweet

  RT @_PhillipBlack: Time is running out to have your say about Lancaster City Council's Climate Emergency review of our local plan. Details… [Source]

• 18 Jul 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  T9. In the past decade, more than 1.7 billion people have been affected by climate disasters through displacement, drought and food insecurity. The climate crisis is both creating and aggravating humanitarian emergencies. Where is the ambitious strategy for UK aid to build resilience and offset the implications of climate breakdown? ( 906065 )

  Full debate: Topical Questions

• 11 Jan 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  I will begin by talking about the Prime Minister’s grand five promises, which he made at the beginning of this month. I was incredibly surprised and disappointed that the environment did not really get any kind of mention, and I thought it was quite irresponsible to prioritise the stopping of small boats crossing the channel over climate change. Perhaps the Prime Minister has not heard, but the latest prediction is that we will have over 1 billion climate refugees by 2050, so constantly chasing the consequences rather than the causes is always going to be to the detriment of progress.

  The Government have managed to use the war in Ukraine and the pandemic to absolve themselves of responsibility for the energy and cost of living crisis. There is no doubt that those events have exacerbated the situation, but the underlying causes of the crisis have been brewing for a very long time. As the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion said, the Government have had 12 years to build up our energy security and transition towards a net zero economy, but instead, they have espoused the rhetoric of commitment while not doing any of the things necessary to actually make that happen.

  There are very obvious solutions, which have been stressed in this debate. Household insulation, for instance, has been shown to be an effective and efficient way of lowering energy demand and improving energy security, yet the Government have scrapped their campaign to insulate homes just six months after its inception. Now that the energy crisis has categorically proven the necessity of transitioning to net zero, the Government plan for 130 new licences for North sea oil and gas. That decision is already being challenged in the courts as being unlawful and incompatible with the UK’s international climate obligations. The UK cannot claim to be an international leader on the climate crisis while moving back towards fossil fuels: this simply proves the falsity of all Government promises on climate action.

  Many of my constituents—I am sure other Members will agree—have been writing to me in opposition to Government plans to approve the Rosebank oil field. Quite rightly, they view it as a complete betrayal of our climate goals and responsibilities to the planet. When I wrote to the Government on this matter, the letter I got back from the Minister justified the use of additional oil and gas fields on the basis that a decline in domestic production would require us to import more oil and gas, but—as was eloquently said by the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion—most of the gas from Rosebank is actually going to be for export. Given the wealth of evidence about the potential for clean energy sources to meet our energy needs, I find that response incomprehensible.

  In my time in this House, I have frequently made the case for renewable energy projects in my own constituency, including tidal energy on the River Wyre. A barrage is proposed between Fleetwood and Knott End, which would be able to produce energy locally, and we have a number of great academics at Lancaster University who are working on renewable energy sources and have lots of good ideas about how we in Lancashire can be part of that energy solution. The only possible explanation for moving in the opposite direction to common sense is that a powerful few in the Conservative party are set to benefit from the expansion of fossil fuels, keeping Britain stuck in the past, rather than leading the future.

  The Government response to the energy crisis has been short-term financial support. While that is necessary, it does absolutely nothing to address the root causes of the problem, nor to equip the country for success in the future. We need urgent investment in renewable energy to create the green growth that can save money on bills, while also equipping us for a future without oil and gas dependencies.

  It is often the poorest of my constituents whose homes end up being flooded when we see extreme weather events. Standing in people’s flooded living rooms when they have lost so many personal possessions, and holding them as they cry, has been one of the most difficult things I have had to do as a Member of Parliament. It is not something I expected to do when I was first elected in 2015, but the reality is that, with the increase in extreme events, it is something that I am likely to have to continue to do going forward. Indeed, we had a yellow weather warning for rain in Lancashire yesterday. Thankfully, I have not yet had any reports of any homes being flooded, but roads are certainly flooding at the moment. It is a consequence of our failing to tackle the climate emergency that is unfolding.

  The Government are pursuing a strategy that accelerates climate change, harms our environment and does nothing to meet people’s energy needs and help them with the cost of living crisis. There are some very obvious solutions that have been put forward in this morning’s debate, and I hope that the Minister is open to considering making this a priority for his Government, meeting people’s cost of living crisis and stopping the climate emergency.

  Full debate: Fossil Fuels and Cost of Living Increases

• 19 Oct 2022: Parliamentary Speech

  Fracking—again! To be honest, since the moment I was elected to this House I have spoken in probably every single debate on this subject, because for my constituents in Lancashire this is something that really matters. It has a tangible effect on their lives with the fracking application on Preston New Road, and with Roseacre in the constituency of my friend the hon. Member for Fylde (Mark Menzies). This matters because of the climate emergency, which we risk losing sight of if we keep focusing purely on tackling the energy crisis and the cost of living crisis. Important as they are, we cannot forget that the planet is burning. Therefore, in all the conversations we have about energy, we must bear in mind that there is a climate emergency that needs to be addressed.

  That is why the last Labour leadership at Lancaster City Council led the way in installing solar panels on public buildings, such as our Salt Ayre sports centre. It is why the big employers in my constituency, such as Lancaster University, are seeking permission for more wind turbines. It is why local businesses such as NanoSUN in Lancaster, are looking to harness hydrogen, and it is why the nuclear power stations at Heysham 1 and 2 provide my constituents with thousands of jobs. Lancashire will play its part with enthusiasm in a green energy revolution. We know it makes sense when solar and wind power, for example, are nine times cheaper than gas, but fracking? No, thanks. Fracking is expensive and unsafe, and we know that communities in Lancashire do not support it.

  Full debate: Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill

• 19 Oct 2022: Vote

  Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 11 Jul 2022: Tweet

  I joined All Party on Climate Change briefing on the latest climate science, led by Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Chief Scientific Advisor. Sir Patrick presented his revised version of the presentation which the PM described as his “Road to Damascus” moment on climate change. https://x.com/CatSmithMP/status/1546509774661242880/photo/1 [Source]

• 24 Mar 2022: Tweet

  RT @KatySClark: Councils across UK should look to @NAyrshireLab on climate policy, who aim to go net-zero by 2030: • Council-owned energy… [Source]

• 13 Dec 2021: Vote

  Subsidy Control Bill — Schedule 1 - The subsidy control principles - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 05 Nov 2021: Tweet

  ???? We all need #COP26 to succeed. It is a critical moment for our planet and for our country: the most consequential summit we’ve ever hosted about the most consequential issue facing our world. https://x.com/CatSmithMP/status/1456595426153574405/photo/1 [Source]

• 29 Sep 2021: Tweet

  If we are serious about climate change we need to upgrade our homes. Labour will fit out every home that needs it to make sure it’s warm, well-insulated and costs less to heat. https://x.com/CatSmithMP/status/1443216518511304708/photo/1 [Source]

• 07 Jun 2021: Vote

  Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill — New Clause 1 - Human Rights Abuses - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 26 May 2021: Vote

  Environment Bill — New Clause 24 - Prohibition on burning of peat in upland areas - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 18 May 2021: Tweet

  Thank you @_erica_lewis for your leadership on Lancaster City Council which tackled the climate emergency by taking real practical steps locally. This alongside community wealth building is a phenomenal legacy of two years leadership during a pandemic. https://www.lancaster.gov.uk/news/2021/mar/lancaster-city-council-receives-funding-to-decarbonise-salt-ayre-leisure-centre [Source]

• 13 Apr 2021: Parliamentary Speech

  The Bay offers a positive vision of investment, skills and jobs growth, tackling the climate emergency, and protecting and enhancing natural resources, infrastructure such as roads, flood defences and housing, and services that meet real need across adult and children’s services. The Bay area has 13,000 businesses, with 18,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing, 4,300 in agriculture and 25,000 in tourism and hospitality. Some 30 million people visit Lancaster and south Cumbria, contributing £2 billion to the economy. It has five major wind farms, oil and gas operations, and two major nuclear power stations. It also has two universities, both already effectively co-operating across the Bay.

  Local government reorganisation must be about more than rearranging the deckchairs. On issues such as social care, public health, climate change and youth services, more of the same will not be good enough. The Department commissioned a research report from Cardiff University that concluded that size is not a detriment with respect to performance, and the implications for performance should be evaluated in the context of the reform proposed for each local area. The Bay is a chance to shake things up and to do things differently, on a geographic footprint that makes sense for services and local people.

  Full debate: Bay Local Authority in North Lancashire and South Cumbria

• 13 Jan 2021: Vote

  Financial Services Bill — Schedule 2 - Prudential regulation of FCA investment firms - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 16 Nov 2020: Vote

  Pension Schemes Bill [Lords] — Clause 124 - Climate change risk - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 12 Oct 2020: Vote

  Agriculture Bill — After Clause 42 - Contribution of agriculture and associated land use to climate change targets - Pro-climate vote: No - Their vote: No

• 29 Sep 2020: Vote

  United Kingdom Internal Market Bill — New Clause 6 - Economic development: climate and nature emergency impact statement - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 10 Sep 2020: Parliamentary Speech

  A number of points have been raised about why the clause does not work, so let me briefly address them. First, the former fishing Minister, the right hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby, mentioned the increased carbon footprint. At a point when Conservative MPs voted against the net zero objective in the Fisheries Bill, I think that does not apply in the same way. We want fishing to be carbon free, and we want more fish to be landed in our ports. I agree that it is often argued that fishers chase the higher price that is delivered in foreign markets, and that if they if they landed in a UK port, the price would be lower. I hope the same arguments are used about any departure from any regimes in the European Union that make travel across borders easy. Delays at the border put an extra focus on this. I hope the argument that has been applied to this clause is applied equally to the Government’s policy, but I fear that it will not be. None the less, it was a good attempt.

  Full debate: Fisheries Bill [ Lords ] (Third sitting)

• 18 Jun 2020: Parliamentary Speech

  Last year’s free trade agreement between Mexico, the US and Canada ran to 250 pages but failed to mention climate change or global emissions. What assurances can the Minister give the House that the free trade agreement being negotiated by his Government between the UK and the US will not make the same mistake and will put climate change at the heart of it?

  Full debate: Free Trade Agreements: Environmental Protection Standards

• 12 Feb 2020: Parliamentary Speech

  2. What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the renewable energy sector in Scotland. ( 900709 )

  Full debate: Renewable Energy

• 05 Feb 2020: Vote

  Transport - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 24 Nov 2019: Tweet

  ???? I’ll always take the climate emergency seriously and have always opposed fracking ♻️ https://t.co/MX3SrYbjSs [Source]

• 03 Nov 2019: Tweet

  Labour’s plan to reduce energy bills, create jobs and tackle the climate emergency: ✅ carbon emissions down 10% ✅ prevent 1,500 deaths from cold ✅ 9.6 million energy bills down ✅ eradicate fuel poverty by mid 2020s ✅ 250,000 skilled green jobs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2019-50277461 [Source]

• 29 Oct 2019: Parliamentary Speech

  Labour will put forward the most radical, hopeful, people-focused programme in modern times: a once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild and transform our country. We will put control of Brexit back in the hands of the people, with a real choice between a sensible leave deal or remain. Labour is the only party that can and will let the people decide on Brexit. We will tackle the climate emergency with a green new deal, bringing net zero emissions targets forward and providing renewable industries with the investment and support they need, including banning fracking in the UK once and for all. It is time for change. Labour will end austerity and build an economy that works for all, with a real living wage, proper collective bargaining and four new bank holidays. I look forward to making these positive arguments to the country in the weeks ahead.

  Full debate: Early Parliamentary General Election Bill

• 23 Oct 2019: Tweet

  In May, Labour led parliament in declaring a climate emergency. Today I stand with over 300 MPs to demand our pension fund ditches fossil fuels #DivestParliament https://twitter.com/MP_FossilFree/status/1186524297730375681 [Source]

• 25 Aug 2019: Tweet

  The earth tremors are shocking & grab headlines but let’s not lose sight of the wider issue too. Climate change means we cannot afford to be fracking up more polluting fossil fuels. The time has absolutely come to ditch fracking & invest in renewables. https://www.lep.co.uk/news/environment/biggest-earth-tremor-so-far-recorded-at-fracking-site-in-lancashire-1-9955542 [Source]

• 13 Aug 2019: Tweet

  RT @NanoSUNH2: Brilliant to have @CatSmithMP visit the Lancaster Facility today to talk all things #climatechange, air quality and #hydroge… [Source]

• 25 Jul 2019: Parliamentary Speech

  My hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Nick Smith) spoke about pensions mis-selling, and called on the Government to do more to protect our constituents. The hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) spoke about the criminalisation of people for being homeless, and I agree that no one should be criminalised for that. My hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (John Grogan) rattled through a lot of different issues in his short allocation of time, including the three early-day motions that he has tabled. I agree with his analysis of early-day motion 2649, because if we are to declare a climate emergency, we must at the very least review whether Heathrow expansion is compatible with that. I share my hon. Friend’s concerns about the domination of the commercial radio market by Global and Bauer, and the loss of local radio, and I pay tribute to those who work for Beyond Radio and Radio Wave in my constituency. They keep my constituents informed about local issues, and ensure that not all our news is dominated by Liverpool, Manchester or London.

  My hon. Friends the Members for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) and for York Central (Rachael Maskell) raised the climate emergency. As temperatures have hit 39 degrees, knowing that we have caused great damage to the planet we live on is unavoidable. I call on the Government to take decisive action to meet the climate emergency—ban fracking and invest in renewables by supporting the solar industry and reinvigorating onshore wind, so that we play our role. My hon. Friend the Member for York Central also talked about communities being at the heart of planning decisions.

  Full debate: Summer Adjournment

• 10 Jul 2019: Parliamentary Speech

  This morning’s Committee on Climate Change report should make stark reading for the Cabinet Office, which has a responsibility to co-ordinate the cross-governmental response to climate change. What steps is the Department taking to meet the climate change demands on the country?

  Full debate: Topical Questions

• 10 Jul 2019: Parliamentary Speech

  On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I seek your guidance. I am sure you are aware that the Cabinet Office has a role in co-ordinating the cross-governmental response to climate change, including the greening government commitments and the UN sustainable development goals, and is responsible for procurement across Government, which obviously relates to sustainability. We have discovered that in Cabinet Office questions this morning the Cabinet Office decided to unilaterally withdraw from the Order Paper one question that had been drawn four times, each having been submitted by a Labour Member. The question was about what steps the Department was taking to facilitate cross-governmental co-operation on tackling climate change. The Opposition had approached the Table Office, and it confirmed that the question would be in order, but the Department decided to unilaterally withdraw it. I seek your guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker, as to how we can ensure that questions are in order. If the Table Office say they are, is it okay for Departments to unilaterally decide they are not?

  Full debate: Point of Order

• 26 Jun 2019: Tweet

  Amazing turn out from Our Lady’s Catholic College students in Lancaster on today’s #ClimateEmergency #TheTimeIsNow lobby of Parliament. School student strikers and Extinction Rebellion have raised this massive issue right up the agenda and that’s been led by young people ???????????? https://x.com/CatSmithMP/status/1143897559519387650/photo/1 [Source]

• 25 Jun 2019: Vote

  Delegated Legislation — Value Added Tax - Pro-climate vote: No - Their vote: No

• 1 May 2019: Parliamentary Speech

  I will talk briefly about young people. I am proud that the Labour-led Lancaster City Council has already declared a climate emergency; it was one of the first councils to do so. That was led by our young activists across the Lancaster district, and I pay tribute to Councillor Amara Betts-Patel, Councillor Oliver Robinson, Peter Curphey, Haddi Malik and Dan Chester, to name but a few of the young people calling on their council to do more and to put forward bold policies to tackle this crisis. The onus is now on us in the House to listen to the words of young activists up and down the country and globally and to put climate change at the forefront of everything that we do.

  Sadly, the Government continue to ignore the potential of this new green economy and persevere with damaging and unwanted policies, such as fracking. The people of Lancashire said no to fracking. It is not compatible with meeting our climate change objectives, and it is time that the Government woke up and banned fracking in this country, as the Labour party has proposed.

  The Government need to lead the charge for a sustainable future, but that does not mean that individuals and communities cannot take a stand. I was pleased to support the Extinction Rebellion activists in Lancaster last week, who were demonstrating about the need to change the way we live our lives and standing up for a green future. Part of that future needs to involve making sustainable choices about how we live and what we eat. Most scientists now agree that we need to eat significantly less meat to tackle climate change, and we need to recognise the real damage that intensively farmed meat has on the ecosystems of developing nations.

  I believe that only a Labour Government who place the environment at the front and centre of Government policy and usher in this green industrial revolution will succeed in halting the slide to environmental chaos. Future generations will not forgive us if we do not take this opportunity for positive action. We owe it to our children to seize this opportunity and to vote today to declare a climate emergency.

  Full debate: Environment and Climate Change

• 01 May 2019: Tweet

  RT @labourwhips: . @UKLabour motion calling on the UK Parliament to be the first in the world to declare an environment and climate emergen… [Source]

• 12 Apr 2019: Tweet

  Today I spoke at the #ClimateEmergency rally organised by young people keen to see politics taking seriously issues they see as priorities. Today’s the last day to register to vote for #LocalElections2019 so make sure you have your say: http://gov.uk/register-to-vote https://x.com/CatSmithMP/status/1116727113615323136/photo/1 [Source]

• 28 Mar 2019: Tweet

  Excellent speech from @justinmadders who reminded us that climate change is the catastrophe going on around us right now and we cannot delay in addressing this. Fracking must be dumped and renewables supported. [Source]

• 28 Mar 2019: Tweet

  And @ThangamMP now on her feet highlighting the lead Bristol has taken in declaring a climate emergency. If there was more time I’d tell her Labour run Lancaster City Council has also done the same. [Source]

• 21 Mar 2019: Tweet

  This #EarthHourUK I support action on climate change for future generations. Join me by switching off your lights on the 30 March at 8:30pm. #VoiceForThePlanet https://x.com/CatSmithMP/status/1108737433372426246/photo/1 [Source]

• 15 Feb 2019: Tweet

  RT @jeremycorbyn: Climate change is the greatest threat that we all face but it is the school kids of today whose futures are most on the l… [Source]

• 15 Oct 2018: Tweet

  RT @_erica_lewis: Any Conservative claims to being committed to stopping #climatechange or empowering local communities is undermined by th… [Source]

• 14 Oct 2018: Tweet

  @GrahamLiver @BBCLancashire Future generations will look back at this and wonder why we didn’t heed climate change warnings. The Tories have slashed support for small scale renewables, scaled back support for electric vehicles and are being slammed by a leading climate scientist for its pursuit of fracking [Source]

• 18 Jul 2017: Parliamentary Speech

  Finally, we have seen real progress in London towards zero emission vehicles. What steps will the Minister take to secure a greener trade across the whole country in future?

  Full debate: Taxi Trade

• 09 May 2016: Vote

  Housing and Planning Bill — Planning obligations and affordable housing - Pro-climate vote: No - Their vote: No

• 03 May 2016: Vote

  Housing and Planning Bill — Neighbourhood right of appeal - Pro-climate vote: No - Their vote: No

• 14 Mar 2016: Vote

  Energy Bill [Lords] — New Clause 8 — Decarbonisation target range - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 14 Mar 2016: Vote

  Energy Bill [Lords] — New Clause 3 — Carbon capture and storage strategy for the energy industry - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 11 Feb 2016: Parliamentary Speech

  11. What discussions she has had with her Cabinet colleagues on limiting climate change to prevent greater future expenditure on adaptation. ( 903595 )

  Full debate: Oral Answers to Questions

• 15 Dec 2015: Parliamentary Speech

  Small businesses are particularly at risk from flooding and 52% of them do not have flood insurance. My fear is that that will increase in my constituency because insurance premiums will certainly increase. The Environment Agency’s long-term investment scenarios recommend an optimum overall investment of around £470 million a year more than is currently being spent. Therefore, the Government need to spend £2.5 billion in the period from 2015 to 2021. That might sound like a lot of money but, frankly, the cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of investing in protecting our communities from floods. I have seen first hand for the first time the devastation in the area where I live. I call on the Government to support our councils as they do their best to deliver. It should not take another flood for the Government to realise their mistake. I also call on them to take climate change and flood defences seriously.

  Full debate: Climate Change and Flooding

• 26 Oct 2015: Vote

  Finance Bill (Ways and Means) (Payment of Corporation Tax) — Chapter 5 — Supplementary provisions - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 08 Sep 2015: Vote

  Bill Presented — Devolution (London) Bill — Clause 45 — CCL: removal of exemption for electricity from renewable sources - Pro-climate vote: No - Their vote: No