Taking action against climate change: a panel debate

MP Watch is an organisation that works to engage MPs in environmental debate and encourage them to join environmental groups such as the Conservative Environment Network, Socialist Environment, Resources Association, Labour Climate and Environmental Forum and UK100.

I went to an event in Oxford in September organised by the local group MP Watch Witney

featuring a cross-party debate with panellists John Selwyn Gummer, Lord Deben (Conservative peer, formerly MP for Suffolk Coastal and Lewisham West, Secretary of State for the Environment 1993 - 1997),Dr Peter Sudbury (former Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, the first

Green Councillor for Wallingford) and Roz Savage MP (Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds, an English ocean rower and environmental advocate).

All three speakers are passionate environmentalists and drew on their individual experience in

advocating for sustainability and protection of the natural world. Lord Debden introduced the

Environment Act 1995 and the Landfill Tax and was subsequently described as “the best

environment secretary we’ve ever had” by Friends of the Earth.

Pete Sudbury has written extensively about things local authorities can do to tackle climate

change for the sake of the health of residents; from improving the quality of our housing stock

and better, safer transport, from green social prescribing and better green space.

After being selected in third place in the private members’ bill ballot on 5 September 2024, Roz

Savage chose to advance the Climate and Nature Bill, which had its first reading on 16 October

2024. Its second reading took place on 24 January 2025, but debate was adjourned (after a

division in the Commons) until 11 July 2025.

It was energising to be part of a cross-party debate and their clarion call for consensus politics at

this critical time. There were also encouraging signs that work behind the scenes through the All-

Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), established in 2015, is more about consensus than division.

As always with events such as this, when presented with so many facts, figures and ideas, it was

the simplest message that stayed with me: use language that we can all understand. When we

advocate for our environment and the projects we’re involved with let’s communicate the

urgency of our situation in words that we can all comprehend.

So instead of the rhetoric of “net zero”, “carbon neutral”, “sustainability” or even

“anthropogenic” how about talking of clean air, clean water, nutritious food, healthy bodies, and

rivers safe for wildlife? These are things that everybody needs and wants.

Anne Millman