Open letter urges PM to develop bold & fair climate plan

• Open letter highlights enormous benefits that tackling climate emergency can bring

Over 50 businesses, unions and civil society groups have written to Keir Starmer urging him to seize the enormous opportunities that tackling the climate emergency will bring [1].

The legal deadline for the government to produce a new climate plan is less than 100 days away: Wednesday 29 October. This follows a successful legal challenge last year by Friends of the Earth and others over the current plan – the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan – introduced by Rishi Sunak’s government.

Signatories to the letter include the British Medical Association, The Co-operative Bank, Fire Brigades Union, National Education Union, The WI, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, RSPB, Disability Rights UK and Islamic Relief UK. Unions that have signed up represent over 1 million workers.

The letter, addressed to the Prime Minister, calls for “your government to be the global climate leader that you and your ministers have said it will be” and says a bold action plan can also “help your government deliver the growth you are striving for.”

The letter also calls for fairness to be at the heart of a plan:

“Fairness means making sure that everyone benefits from the net zero transition, and that no-one is left behind. Marginalised communities are already disproportionately impacted by climate change. Fairness in climate policy is also essential so that the long-standing public mandate for action can be maintained. A bold and fair plan will help deliver cheap and reliable energy, security and resilience, warm homes, clean air, widespread public transport, thriving nature, healthy workplaces, and well-paid green jobs that are accessible to all communities.”

Friends of the Earth’s climate lead, Anna Roguski, said:

“The message from dozens of businesses, unions and civil society organisations is clear: an ambitious new climate plan won’t just cut emissions – it will help boost the economy and improve peoples’ lives too.

“The clock is ticking. The government has 100 days to seize the huge benefits of building a greener, fairer and more prosperous future for us all."

ENDS

1. The UK government was originally obliged to come up with a new climate action plan in May of this year. But this deadline was subsequently extended by the High Court until October 2025.