The Big Climate Connection

5/6 November 2010

Introduction

Supporters from more than 100 organisations are coming together in their communities for the Big Climate Connection. People from all walks of life – from environment to development groups, from unions to local community and health groups – will be calling on their MPs for action on climate change.

Even if you have never visited your MP before consider joining with others to talk with them on 5/6 th November. For helpful tips on talking to your MP get a briefing pack from Stop Climate Chaos at www.stopclimatechaos.org and check the Stop Climate Chaos interactive map for lobby events already organised in your area.

This briefing outlines some key issues that you may wish to discuss with your MP. This guidance includes facts and figures that you can use to support your argument and points you in the direction of further resources. You will probably wish to be selective and may chose to address only one or two of the following areas.

Key opportunities

International : The lobby will take place three weeks before the UN Climate Talks in Cancun, Mexico.

Domestic : A new UK Energy Bill will be before Parliament in November .

Local : Local lobbyists will link the climate asks in with local issues, to show our MPs that climate change really is relevant to them, and of course if there are any local issues of concern that are connected to climate change, this will be a great opportunity to bring them up.

Our asks

1. Ensure that the UK leads by example by putting in place a strategy to enable us to meet our domestic emission reduction targets.
   • Put in place measures to achieve a rapid decarbonisation of the power sector
   • Establish an adequately funded Green Investment Bank to deliver a rapid transition to a low carbon economy
   • Ensure that homes in the UK are properly insulated
     
     
2. Put in place a legally binding global deal that delivers the scale and speed of emissions cuts necessary to keep average global temperature rises as far below 2 degrees as possible.
   • Insist on a legally binding global deal in international negotiations
   • Adopt a UK 2020 target emissions reduction target of 42%
   • Don't allow industrialised nations to duck their responsibility through the use of carbon credits
     
     
3. Provide predictable climate finance to enable developing countries to develop low carbon economies and to combat some of the impacts of climate change.
   • Ensure that climate finance pledges are additional to that already promised and are predictable and sustainable in the long-term and based primarily on grants not loans

Read more detail on these asks