Many constituents have been in contact with recently me to express their view that the Chancellor of the Exchequer needs to secure the future of green investment. In the upcoming spending review to be made by the Chancellor, one of the areas that he needs to prioritise is an overhaul of how homes across our heated. Central heating is a complicated but critical part of the UK’s decarbonisation efforts and requires investment in energy sources such as hydrogen and biomethane. Energy efficient heat pumps are also critical and as present, this Government is failing and if we proceed on this path, we will not reach the critical targets we need to if we are to slow and reverse the environmental damage that is being done.
The upcoming spending review and the Autumn Budget is a key opportunity for this Chancellor and this Government to address this and make some progress on this front. The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has declared that we are running out of time.
Climate change and the protection of the environment are among my central parliamentary focuses and I believe passionately that if we are to make the changes necessary to alter our current, perilous, course, the Government – both at home and internationally – must be bold, decisive and ambitious. We have yet to see that, and the commitment to address this issue, from the Chancellor.
Barry Sheerman 