We're privileged to have so many beautiful nature spots in Selby and Kippax, including Brayton Barff, Barlow Common and Fairburn Ings. Having these on our doorsteps is part of why nature and the environment is so important to local people, and that's why, along with tackling climate change, it'll always be a top priority for me and this Labour Government.
As well as working to plant millions of new trees across Britain, we also wasted no time in legislating to push green energy production forward. One of the first laws passed by this Government was the Great British Energy Bill, one that established a publicly owned energy company backed by £8.3 billion of government investment over the course of this Parliament. In doing so, we're accelerating the rollout of solar panels on public buildings like schools and hospitals, and making Britain a world leader in green technology like offshore wind. Solar panels will play a vital role in the Government’s Net Zero Strategy. I share the common-sense view of many local people that new build homes should have them fitted by default - the Government are formalising this through the Future Homes Standard.
Offshore wind supply chains will benefit from £300m of government investment, which sits alongside transformational funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. These CCS clusters will be operational from 2028, reducing CO2 emissions while creating around 50,000 new jobs across the north.
To make a meaningful impact, efforts at tackling climate change need to happen on a global scale. COP30 in Brazil is a landmark summit, and Britain is partnering with Guyana as co-chairs of the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership. These next few years will be a pivotal spell for climate action and I'm proud that, with this Government, Britain is a leader again on the global stage.
It's also important to recognise the vital importance of our oceans and marine wildlife. In June 2025, the Government announced plans to ban bottom trawling from more Marine Protected Areas. We increased our contribution to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs up to £40 million at the UN Ocean Conference, and, most recently, we introduced a legal framework to ensure the UK meets the obligations of the High Seas Treaty to protect two-thirds of the world’s oceans.
These measures will be welcomed by all of those who, like me, care deeply about our responsibility to nature and the climate. We owe it to future generations to play our part in this - seizing the enormous opportunities associated with the green transition whilst protecting our precious planet for decades and centuries to come. As ever, if you have any specific questions about the Government's environment policies then please do drop me an email - I'll be happy to help wherever I can.