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Petition organised in Forres puts pressure on Douglas Ross MP to support Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill


By Garry McCartney

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Rachel Winter gathering signatures on a petition outside the office of Moray’s MP Douglas Ross.
Rachel Winter gathering signatures on a petition outside the office of Moray’s MP Douglas Ross.

A SELF-employed bookkeeper from Forres is trying to persuade Moray’s MP to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill.

Since October 13, Rachel Winter has cycled from Kinloss to Douglas Ross’s office every weekday on her lunch break, collecting signatures to show him that this is something constituents want to help stop global warming.

Rachel and fellow petitioner John Lardner had a Zoom call with Mr Ross after gathering more than 500 signatures.

She said: “I was encouraged to hear Mr Ross say that he agrees we are facing a climate change emergency, and that he has become increasingly concerned about it since the birth of his son. However, he has consistently voted against measures to prevent climate change. I hope this will change.”

Rachel confirmed that Mr Ross claims he has not made his mind up about supporting the bill, and wants to learn more about how it can help the UK meet its emissions targets.

She said: “We hope to talk further about some of the reservations he has, and why it is vital that he backs the bill and does all he can to raise awareness in his own party of the need to move away from environmentally destructive and carbon intensifying policies, such as their £27 billion road building plan.”

Scottish Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross confirmed he had a “really good meeting with Rachel and John”.

He said: “I outlined concerns I have about the proposed legislation, and Rachel is now going to look into these and we will come back to discuss it further.”

Mr Ross’ Conservative Party leader, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, co-hosted the virtual Climate Ambition Summit on Saturday, December 12, where nations were urged to cut more greenhouse gases. United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres warned the world was heading for a “catastrophic” 3C of warming. The UK has promised to reduce its emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

During the event, Mr Johnson said: “We’re doing this not because we are hair-shirt wearing, tree-hugging, mung bean-munching eco-freaks – we’re doing it because we know that scientific advances will allow us collectively to save our planet and create millions of high-skilled jobs.”

Rachel said that it would be understandable if the public thought that enough is being done, and that there is no need for the CEE Bill’s strategy to help the UK

government contribute its fair share to limiting global warming to 1.5C.

She said: “Non-binding targets such as those made in Paris in 2016 aren’t working. Boris Johnson’s new pledge relates to our in-country emissions, and doesn’t include those related to our international aviation, shipping or the production of goods from overseas or outsourced to overseas manufacturers, all of which have increased substantially over the past 30 years.

“Only last month, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation reported that climate-heating gases have reached record levels in

the atmosphere despite global lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic. We need government legislation backed up by the latest science such as that proposed by the CEE Bill in order to support the change that is called for.

“If we take action now, we have the opportunity to create a fairer, healthier and sustainable economic system that can work for all.”

Rachel believes Mr Ross offers an opportunity to reflect the views of his constituents and influence decision-makers at Westminster. She explained research has shown that MPs rarely talk out about the climate emergency because they claim voters do not class it as a priority issue.

She said: “I urge people to tell Mr Ross why the crisis matters and why the CEE Bill can help.

“We want him to do as much as possible for future generations.”

Sign the petition at www.change.org/SupportTheCEEBill



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