Yesterday (03 October) the Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP hand-delivered a letter signed by 1,500 business people to key cabinet members calling on them to take firm and swift action on the climate and nature crises.
The letter was handed to Rt Hon Chris Skidmore by Ben Tolhurst, Director of Business Declares, at the Midland Hotel Manchester.
The letter asks the government to commit to investing in renewables, take action to protect and restore nature and end new fossil fuel developments in the UK.
It calls on the government to commit to a clear climate action plan that can deliver long-term security and certainty for UK businesses.
The letter builds on the momentum of the Queue for Climate and Nature and adds to recent calls for greater action on climate change coming from a range of industry voices including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Aldersgate Group.
The Queue for Climate & Nature – ‘a quiet but powerful gathering of stakeholders and people in business’ organised by Business Declares and Business Stand Up – took place on Friday 15 September at Midday, starting at Peter’s hill near St Paul’s Cathedral and stretching across Millennium Bridge.
The goal was to demonstrate business support for government action on climate and nature in the run-up to the General Election.
The number of signatures to the open letter increased six-fold since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s climate policy rollback, demonstrating growing concerns within the business community over the government’s attitudes towards climate change and environmental policy.
Accordingly, it also strengthens the position of those calling for positive change within the world of politics, such as the Environment Audit Committee and the APPGs for Net Zero and Climate change.
Key signatories and supporters include Paul Polman, former boss of Unilever and advisor to the government; Deborah Meaden; Dr Bevis Watts, CEO of Triodos Bank UK; Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity, Rosie Brown, CEO of COOK and Chris Packham, Save our Wild Isles Films and TV personality.
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