Political Agenda: “The move will trigger profound consequences”
Published 28 June 2019
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The pace is hotting up on efforts to tackle global warming – nearly as fast as the planet itself.
The House of Commons this week approved a motion enshrining in legislation the target that the UK should be “net zero” by 2050.
The expeditious treatment of the secondary will be welcomed by those who feared the measures would get caught in parliamentary procedure and the Conservative leadership campaign.
In a debate lasting just an hour and a half, MPs backed a move that will trigger profound consequences for the economy and society of the UK.
Long after we have stopped agonising about Brexit, we will still be working out the consequences of this vote. And this will require much greater civic engagement than has been the case so far, given the profound changes it will mean for how we get about and heat our homes.
A first step in this bigger public debate was this week’s decision by parliament to set up a citizens’ assembly this autumn, to thrash out a route map to achieving net zero.
Last week, the idea was confined to Extinction Rebellion, who are probably more comfortable protesting on the streets than in the corridors of power.
The assembly will pull together a group of people representative of society to deliberate on the issues. The recommendations that emerge will then be presented to government and parliament, where the buck stops on how we transition to a greener and cleaner future. Expect at that point the debate to really hot up.
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