Thank you to everyone who joined our recent rally in support of the CAN Bill. Sadly Labour blocked the Bill
As part of our campaign to urge local MPs Kate Dearden (Halifax) and Josh Fenton Glynn (Calder Valley) to support the Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill, we held a rally in Hebden Bridge.
The Bill had its second reading on 24 January 2024 and neither Kate nor Josh backed the Bill, despite a letter from Calderdale Council asking them to support it after the matter was raised at full Council in November by Green Councillor Elaine Hey.
The confirmation last week that 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first to breach the 1.5 degree global warming limit should be a wake-up call to everyone that we need bolder and more ambitious climate and nature action now and the debate on 24 January is a good opportunity to move closer to this. You can find out more about the cross-party campaign in support of CAN from The Zero Hour Campaign.
So what is Calderdale Green Party doing?
We staged a rally with other Green groups in central Hebden Bridge on Saturday 18 January 2025 where we gave out CAN campaign leaflets and urged local people to write to Kate and Josh in the run up to the debate asking them to attend it and back the Bill.
We also staged a photo call of activists with a large ‘We support the climate and nature bill banner’ (see above) which shared on social media and with the press.
This year is the tenth anniversary of the devastating Boxing Day floods, when 3000 properties mainly in Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge were flooded, and the local economy was battered to the cost of £150 million.
The Climate and Nature Bill is a great opportunity to accelerate joined up action on the interconnected climate and nature crises, and it is disappointing that neither Kate nor Josh has so far shown leadership on this.