Tag: environment

Bishop of Salisbury welcomes new Carbon Budget Orders

On 19th July 2016 the House of Lords debated the approval of the Government’s draft Carbon Budget Order 2016 and Climate Change Act 2008 (Credit Limit) Order 2016. The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtham, spoke in the debate, welcoming the Orders, which were approved by Peers at the conclusion of the debate: 

Bp Salisbury 2The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: My Lords, I welcome both orders and welcome the Minister in her new role with its important responsibilities to further our progress in the care of our common home. I particularly welcome her as somebody who lives in the diocese of Salisbury, and I look forward to working with her in this new context.

The Committee on Climate Change’s Meeting Carbon Budgets—2016 Progress Report to Parliament says that it,

“comes at a critical point in the development of climate policy in the UK … against the backdrop of the Paris Agreement in December last year”.

The political circumstances could not be more significant. I was grateful to the noble Viscount, Lord Ridley, for his eloquent speech in favour of international agreements, which gave me a sense of urgency in relation to the implementation of the Paris agreement. I have taken on a preaching engagement in the autumn, about which I have been feeling some trepidation. It is to preach at the annual service for the Worshipful Company of Fuellers. I am now looking forward to that event and to trying to engage with that group of people on these issues. Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury welcomes new Carbon Budget Orders”

Bishop of St Albans asks Government about action to prevent fly-tipping

On 12th May 2016 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received written answers to questions of Government about fly-tipping:

St Albans 2The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the levels of fly-tipping on private land across the UK in each of the last five years. [HL8278]

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Fly-tipping is unacceptable whether it occurs on public or private land, it spoils our enjoyment of the countryside, can harm human health and wildlife, and damage farming and rural tourism. It also undermines legitimate waste businesses where unscrupulous operators undercut those that operate within the law and is a drain on both local authorities and landowners that clear it up. Tackling this scourge and other forms of illegal waste activity is a priority for the Government. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about action to prevent fly-tipping”

Bishop of Salisbury urges a rethink on Government renewable energy proposals

On the 16 March 2016 the Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtham, took part in a debate to approve the Government’s draft Renewables Obligation Closure Etc. (Amendment) Order 2016. Baroness Featherstone also tabled a Motion to Regret the change. The draft instrument closes the renewables obligation from 1 April 2016 (12 months early) to solar PV generating stations at 5 megawatts and below. It applies both to new generating stations and to existing stations that wish to add additional capacity up to the 5 megawatts threshold. The Bishop’s speech is below and the vote on the Regret Motion can be seen here.

Bp Salisbury 2The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: My Lords, it is curious to rehearse the same arguments so soon after the recent debate on feed-in tariffs. It is very disappointing in the wake of the success in Paris of COP 21, and the enthusiasm engendered from that about a new level of ambition in response to human-caused climate change. I feel as though the Minister is in a position of defending the indefensible. The noble Baroness, Lady Byford, made a very good point about the place of subsidies and pump-priming. Therefore, it is disappointing that the Government are not working more effectively with the renewable energy sector to build on the considerable success of that industry.

Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury urges a rethink on Government renewable energy proposals”

Bishop of St Albans – technological goods should be designed to last longer

On 3rd March 2016 the House of Lords considered a questions for short debate tabled by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to promote the principles of the circular economy, based on the re-use, repair, refurbishment and recycling of existing materials and products, to protect the environment, give new growth opportunities and avoid waste.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, spoke in the debate:

 

Bishop St Albans June 2015The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, my thanks also go to the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Whitchurch, for this important debate on the circular economy.

I want to spend just a few moments highlighting the economic and environmental impact of planned obsolescence—this has already been referred to —particularly in technological goods, which we know is used by companies to drive growth and ensure a steady supply of return customers. It is a business model that relies on technological products needing to be upgraded and/or replaced at regular intervals, whether because they go out of fashion, have a limited lifespan, or are difficult or expensive to repair. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans – technological goods should be designed to last longer”

Bishop of St Albans highlights sustainable alternatives to throwaway approach to smartphones

On 23rd February 2016 Baroness Jones of Whitchurch asked Her Majesty’s Government “what progress has been made in reducing levels of unwanted electronic goods ending up in landfill through encouraging manufacturers to produce more sustainable products.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow up question.

Bishop of St AlbansThe Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, nothing exemplifies our society’s throwaway attitude more than modern smartphones, which are almost impossible to get repaired at a reasonable cost, with batteries that are fixed in them and processors which are designed not to work after a couple of years. In contrast, there are now some social enterprises such as Fairphone, a Dutch company, that are producing phones using ethically sourced materials and in which every part can be replaced or upgraded when necessary. Does the Minister agree that such an initiative needs to be held up to the technology industry as a good example of the way forward to find sustainable products? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans highlights sustainable alternatives to throwaway approach to smartphones”

Bishop of Leeds leads debate on national response to flooding

On 14th January 2016 the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, led a short debate in the House of Lords on flood management. His speech and the Government response is below. The full text of the debate, including a speech by the Bishop of St Albans, can be read here.

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to review their long term strategy for flood management, particularly in rural areas that do not qualify for large-scale flood defences.

LeedsThe Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to put to the Government the Question before us. If there was a sound track to this debate it would probably include Phil Collins’s “In Too Deep”.

It is important to note the destructiveness of the recent flooding, given that the news agenda moves on very quickly and communities which found themselves at the heart of a sympathetic nation quickly feel themselves to be forgotten. For some of the communities in my diocese, the recent floods come in the wake—almost literally—of other occurrences in recent years. For them the need for longer-term and more joined-up measures is obvious.

I pay tribute to civic leaders, emergency services, public service workers, members of the Armed Forces, the Environment Agency and local volunteers, many of whom sacrificed holidays and family time over Christmas to support victims of this appallingly destructive flooding. Continue reading “Bishop of Leeds leads debate on national response to flooding”

Bishop of St Albans suggests new approaches to flood management

On 14th January 2016 the Bishop of Leeds, Rt Revd Nick Baines, led a short debate in the House of Lords on flood management. The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, also spoke in the debate.

StAlbans171115The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank my right reverend colleague for today’s debate. Due to the shortage of time, straightaway I shall focus a little more on whole-catchment flood management. A renewed focus on this approach has been one of the notable outcomes of the current flood crisis, helped of course by the exemplary work of the Pickering slow-the-flow scheme, which the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, described so eloquently.

The potential of whole-catchment approaches—for example, using meandering rivers, planting trees and building permeable dams to slow water in upland areas and reduce peak flow further downstream—is enormous. In the long term, it provides a cheaper, more environmentally friendly method of flood management, which works, as a number of people have already said, with natural processes rather than constantly trying to hold back the tide. Such approaches also have the benefit of being effective across a catchment, rather than simply focusing on one or two high-value areas, and so can help to lower the flood risk in rural hamlets and villages that might otherwise not qualify for flood protection. Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans suggests new approaches to flood management”

Bishop of Salisbury welcomes Paris agreement and calls for sights to be set higher on climate change

On 17th December 2015 the House of Lords debated a motion from Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress was made at the COP 21 climate change talks”. The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, spoke in the debate, congratulating Government on the achievements on climate change at the Paris summit and calling for more emphasis on community energy and renewables. 

Bp Salisbury 2

The Lord Bishop of Salisbury: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Miller, for this debate and congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Sheehan, on her maiden speech. What a great debate in which to make a maiden speech, when we are looking so much towards the future.

On Tuesday, we congratulated the Government, the Minister, the officials from DECC and some Members of this House on the contributions that they made in Paris. Many people will feel that this is an agreement for which they hoped and prayed. Someone said, “I can’t really comment. It was near miraculous”. I think that that might be true. It is particularly significant in the wake of the terrorism in Paris on 13 November. Terrorism seeks to divide us and creates fear. This agreement of nearly all the world acting together gives hope, which feels to be a very important statement. I have said before that I am particularly grateful for the creation of a predictable framework of $100 billion of climate finance for poor countries. That is particularly significant at a time when questions are being asked about overseas aid. This is an important contribution to that debate. Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury welcomes Paris agreement and calls for sights to be set higher on climate change”

Church Commissioner Questions – Syrian refugees, fossil fuel investments, hedgehogs

On the 17th December 2015 the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, answered four oral questions in the House of Commons about Syrian refugees, fossil fuel investments and the protection of hedgehogs.

Continue reading “Church Commissioner Questions – Syrian refugees, fossil fuel investments, hedgehogs”

Bishop of Salisbury welcomes Paris climate change agreement

On 15th December 2015 a statement from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the Paris Climate Change Summit was repeated in the House of Lords. The Bishop of Salisbury was amongst those who responded:

SalisburyThe Lord Bishop of Salisbury: My Lords, I, too, congratulate the Minister on the achievements in Paris and the part that the UK Government played. The faith communities organised, among those from the wider public sphere, to gather in Paris. Forty-four pilgrims walked from London; seven walked from the Danish-German border; and 22 cycled from Copenhagen. As they travelled on the journey to Paris, they gathered with them the support of the communities through which they travelled and in which meetings were held. This culminated last week with the presentation of a petition, with signatures from 1.83 million people, to Christiana Figueres and President Hollande by 20 of us in the faith communities. This is a deal that many people wanted. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the UN, said that it was the most complex and largest talks he had ever been part of. The sense of achievement is therefore very great in having pulled off the Paris agreement. The UK’s contribution through climate finance was particularly significant.

Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury welcomes Paris climate change agreement”