The Department for Transport recently ran a consultation exercise starting on 8th July and closing on 31st August, 2020. This was open to the public and we were asked to submit our ideas for and about the steps we should take to reduce emissions from transport. THis was to assist the government in creating a plan to ensure the UK transport is net zero in emissions by 2050.
West Sussex County Councillors Unite to acknowledge support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children Councillors gave their unanimous support for a Liberal Democrat motion that acknowledges the vital role that West Sussex County Council plays in supporting unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
The Federal Conference Committee has selected and released the following motion for debate and vote at party conference next...
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it feels as if there is a lot of anger around #InternalMarketBill and it's not lessening. It seems very much as if the government has misjudged public opinion. This could well become Johnson & his MPs 'poll tax' turning point. Amal Cloony, a respected human rights lawyer has withdrawn her support saying 'She could not tell others to honour legal obligations when the UK "declares it does not intend to do so itself". And rightly so because when you look at the bill - clauses 2d and 4g are frankly terrifying in the power they confer on government not Parliament. If Johnson, the government and the Conservatives didn't understand what they were voting for, they need to say so but it is far more likely a no deal Brexit was always the aim - breaking every promise they gave the electorate. What Conservatives hadn't reckoned was the international condemnation which won't be giving them any decent trade deals any time soon, IDS and Raab lecturing the US hasn't gone down well - meaning the citizens of t
Securing women's jobs during the Covid-19 crisis
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, called on the government to provide incentives for energy providers to develop solar power in the UK.
Mrs Hobhouse slammed the government for falling behind on meeting the UK’s renewable targets for solar energy capacity. The government plans to deploy 70 GW of solar power across the country by 2035. However, as of 2022, the UK had only installed 14.3 GW of solar pv.
Following a visit to a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School last year, Wera Hobhouse is keen to encourage the development of similar solar projects across Bath. The solar system is predicted to significantly cut the school’s fuel costs and reduce their carbon emissions by 52 tonnes a year.
In the House of Commons on the 27th February, the Bath MP noted that the UK is lagging behind the rest of the world in renewable energy investment, she urged the government to offer incentives to energy providers to improve solar capacity.
However, Andrew Bowie, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, ignored Hobhouse’s proposals, failing to describe the ways in which the government could incentivise solar energy. Instead, Bowie said that the government’s Solar Taskforce would publish recommendations for solar power and reiterated the government’s target to deploy 70 GW by 2035.
Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath and spokesperson for Energy Security and Net Zero, commented:
“The Conservatives are falling dangerously behind on meeting our targets for renewable energy production. It is no good the government setting an ambitious 70 GW solar target if they are nowhere near reaching it.
“It is clear that they have no plan to get us back on track to reach Net Zero. Evidently, they are more than happy to dismiss perfectly good proposals like incentivising solar power. That is why I am so proud that Bath is home to many community energy projects like the solar system at Beechen Cliff School, so that we can lead the way in renewables.”
“It is not just our climate targets harmed by the Conservatives’ delay. Families in Bath and across the country are struggling to pay soaring energy bills which investment in renewables could curb. That is why we Liberal Democrats would build significantly more renewable energy, aiming to generate 80% of our electricity from renewables by 2030.”
Peter Capener, Managing Director of Bath & West Community Energy said:
“Our work with schools is really demonstrating the value of community energy in both addressing the climate crisis and reducing fuel bills. Rooftop solar installed last year has already saved local schools a combined total of £134,209 and has reduced carbon emissions by 224.3 tonnes, which is equivalent to 12,173 journeys from Bath to Edinburgh by train!”
