Protests in London over the last week, following the inspiring school student action which I backed, underline the message of the IPCC Report serious action is needed over the next 12 years to prevent the worst of climate change.

I have backed an Early Day Motion which called on the Government to declare a UK-Wide Climate Emergency, and calling for “an urgent and rapid global response”. It’s a call supported by Labour and I’m pleased that Sheffield City Council was one of the first local authorities to declare a climate emergency.

I also joined colleagues to welcome Greta Thunberg to Parliament yesterday, where she was joined by members of the UK Student Climate Network. Her speech underlined the urgency of the situation and later, responding to a Government’s statement on climate change policy, I pressed the Minister on the ambitious targets the world should adopt and how she intends to work towards this at the next international Climate Change Conference, COP26, which the UK is bidding to host, although I was disappointed by the response (see our exchange below).

The science is clear that we need urgent, radical and transformative action and I’d welcome views on Labour’s environmental policy, the Green Transformation. I’ll also continue to work with Sheffield Climate Alliance, who always welcome support (find out more here).