Political opinion with Alison Bennett MP: Working together to protect our climate

I recently attended a local screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing in Poynings, which brought residents together to hear from leading experts to explain the challenges we face from the climate and nature emergency. What struck me most was the message that this is not a distant problem for future generations. Climate Change is already affecting our economy, our food security, our natural environment and the resilience of local communities, like ours in Mid Sussex.

Many people are looking for honest and accessible information, and the People’s Emergency Briefing helpfully presents the evidence in a clear way. Importantly, it is also hopeful. While it does not shy away from the scale of the challenge, it encourages people to engage with the solutions that will be needed at every level, from national government to local action.

That is why I have signed a parliamentary motion calling for a national television screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing. The issues it raises deserve much wider public attention, and I believe more people should have the opportunity to hear the evidence and take part in the conversation about how we respond.

The themes discussed at the briefing are particularly relevant given the pressures we are already seeing as a result of rising temperatures and climate change. The event itself had to be rearranged after the extreme heat in August made it impossible to host everyone safely in the parish hall, while pressures on our local water supply have continued to grow.

Shortly after the event in Poynings, South East Water announced that it had applied for both a drought order and a non-essential use ban due to declining water levels at Ardingly Reservoir. This would mean the removal of previous exemptions on the hosepipe ban. I spoke with South East Water’s Chief Executive to discuss the situation and the next steps. Many residents are understandably worried and frustrated, particularly businesses which rely on water in order to trade.

South East Water has a responsibility to invest in infrastructure, reduce leakage and improve the reliability of the network. This weekend, we saw another significant outage following a burst water main around Hurstpierpoint with emergency bottled water being distributed at Tesco in Burgess Hill. I know how deeply frustrating it is for people to face repeated disruption to a water supply that is simply not reliable enough.

At the same time, with little rain forecast, we do need to take the current restrictions seriously and be careful about how much water we use. Both things can be true: water companies must do far more to improve the resilience of our network, while all of us have a role to play in responding to increasing pressure on our natural resources.

That spirit of shared responsibility was at the heart of the People's Emergency Briefing, and it is a message that has never been more important.