U.K. Parliament Invites 30,000 to Join Climate Change Assembly
U.K. Parliament Invites 30,000 to Join Climate Change Assembly
(Bloomberg) -- U.K. lawmakers have sent invitations to 30,000 people across the U.K. to take part in Britain’s first Climate Change Assembly.
The assembly, which will be organized by cross-party committees, will garner views from citizens on how to reach Britain’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, the committees said in a joint statement on Saturday.
“We now need to set out a clear road map for the actions to achieve net-zero,” Rachel Reeves, a member of the U.K.’s opposition Labour Party, said. “Parliament needs to work with the people and with government to address the challenge of climate change.”
Chosen at random, the assembly members will be expected to attend events run over four weekends between January and March in Birmingham. Following that, 110 of the group will be chosen to be part of the final assembly.
Separately, the U.K. Treasury began a review of net zero policies to asses how the decarbonization of the U.K’s systems will affect everyone, particularly low-income households.
The issue has skyrocketed to the top of the political agenda globally, as the world grapples with how to slow the effects of a changing climate. From unusually dangerous hurricanes to wildfires in California, the catastrophic impacts of climate change highlight concerns that scientists have voiced for decades.
Millions have taken to the streets to protest worldwide within the past few months, with 16-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg as the figurehead of the movement. Activist group Extinction Rebellion blocked roads and frustrated governments with their brand of non-violent civil disobedience. One of the group’s central demands is that politicians set up citizens’ assemblies to better reflect what society wants in relation to climate.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jeremy Hodges in London at jhodges17@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net, Helen Robertson, Christopher Sell
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