Foyle MP and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood
The SDLP Leader’s Climate Change Bill will continue to appear on the Commons order paper and he has vowed to raise the issue with the British Government every week until the legislation is debated.
Said the Foyle MP: “Not 20 months ago, every Tory MP was tripping over themselves to declare their ‘green’ credentials and rub shoulders with world leaders at COP26 in Glasgow.
“Today, given the opportunity to vote for real, meaningful legislation that would have helped address the climate crisis, they instead chose to abuse arcane parliamentary procedures to talk out our climate change bill.
“Not uniquely on this issue, the British Government is talking out of both sides of its mouth.
“My bill would have brought forward the date for achieving net-zero emissions, placed an obligation on Ministers to introduce a green corporate levy and a green jobs strategy and we could have declared a climate emergency.
“This is the kind of radical policy intervention we need.
“This is not over.
“Our climate change bill is on the Order Paper and will remain there every week.
“I will use every opportunity to force the British Government to debate and vote on legislation that will help save our planet.”
