Hundreds of Shropshire residents flood Councillors inboxes over climate fears

Over two hundred Shropshire residents have written to their local councillor and MP during the weekend asking them to support the Climate & Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill after the launch of a new campaign group calling for faster climate action. 

The Shropshire CEE Bill Alliance is calling on county residents concerned about the climate emergency to make their voices heard by flooding the inboxes of councillors and MPs. It comes ahead of a new cross-party motion that is being tabled at Shropshire Council on 25 February in support of the bill. 

The CEE Bill, introduced into Parliament as a Private Members Bill by Caroline Lucas of the Green Party in November 2020, has been drawn up by scientists, lawyers and campaigners. It offers a roadmap for the UK to achieve its Paris Agreement targets and keep the increase in average global temperatures under 1.5C.

Shrewsbury resident Jamie Russell, one of the founders of the Shropshire campaign, said: “We’ve been staggered by how many people have sent emails via our website at www.ShropshireCEEbill.co.uk. It’s obvious that many Shropshire residents don’t think the UK is moving fast enough to avoid climate catastrophe.” 

The CEE Bill currently has the cross-party backing of almost 100 MPs in Parliament, as well as public figures such as the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, the author Margaret Atwood and organisations including Greenpeace, The Body Shop and Ecotricity. However, none of Shropshire’s MPs have yet expressed their support for it. 

Says Russell: “The UK government wants us to reach net zero by 2050. Shropshire’s MPs say that aiming for 2030, as the CEE bill outlines, is too soon. That’s a ridiculous position to take. When you dial 999 you don’t expect to be told to wait THREE DECADES for a response. Our MPs also say there is no public backing for swift action. However, a recent poll shows 81% of people in the UK think the climate crisis is a global emergency, the highest level of concern across 50 countries sampled.” 

If Shropshire Council votes to support the CEE bill motion on the 25th, the council’s leadership will be required to write to Daniel Kawczynski, Philip Dunne and Owen Paterson encouraging them to back the bill. 

Says Russell: “Shropshire Council needs to show leadership on the climate emergency and it needs to recognise the concerns of Shropshire residents. In customer service they say that for every one complaint received there are another twenty-six unhappy people who are remaining silent. Shropshire residents are clearly very worried about this issue. If you are one of them then please visit our website and make your voice heard.”