MPs in the House of Commons voted to adjourn a debate on the Climate and Nature Bill on 24 January, preventing a vote on the ambitious legislation designed to strengthen the UK’s climate and biodiversity commitments. The private members’ Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Dr Roz Savage, has drawn significant attention from environmental groups and campaigners for its bold measures to address the climate and nature crises.
The Climate and Nature Bill seeks to set legally binding targets for reducing emissions and restoring biodiversity. It also aligns with the UK’s efforts with the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt nature degradation by 2030. It aims to introduce a unified strategy for climate and nature, developed in collaboration with the public via a citizens’ assembly.
The Bill proposes stronger obligations for Ministers and Government departments to deliver on these targets, locking ambitious climate action into law.
Despite significant public and cross-party support, campaign group Zero Hour claimed that Labour leadership instructed its MPs to oppose the Bill, fearing it exceeded the party’s pre-election manifesto commitments. More than 40 Labour MPs had previously expressed support for the Bill’s measures but were reportedly told to back a motion to adjourn the debate instead.
“This is because the Bill goes further than Labour’s manifesto promises on some key issues,” Zero Hour stated.
Environmental charities, including the National Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace, had called for a free vote on the Bill. Several Liberal Democrat and Green Party MPs joined the campaign to show support for stronger climate and biodiversity legislation.
Dr Amy McDonnell, co-director of Zero Hour, criticised the Government for blocking the Bill and said, “A Government which says it’s serious about nature and climate leadership has blocked the progression of the cross-party CAN Bill, which would have set Britain on the path both nature and the climate so desperately need.
“The CAN Bill, and the principles it embodies, will come back again – and again – to Parliament. Scientists are crystal clear. Ministers must be ambitious, they must take rapid action, and they must lock that ambition in law. The climate and nature crises are not going away—and neither are we.”
The Bill’s measures align with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework, which aim to halt biodiversity loss and address climate change by 2030. Supporters argue that the UK must adopt stronger measures to lead on climate action and nature protection globally.
However, critics within Parliament have raised concerns about the feasibility of implementing such ambitious targets within existing political and economic constraints.
Energy and Net-Zero Secretary Ed Miliband assured MPs that further discussions on integrating climate and nature targets into legislation would take place. However, it remains uncertain whether these talks will lead to substantive legislative changes or result in the reintroduction of similar proposals in Parliament.
While the debate has been blocked for now, campaigners have vowed to continue pushing for stronger environmental laws. The Bill’s backers argue that binding climate and biodiversity targets are crucial for addressing the interconnected crises of global warming and nature degradation.
The Climate and Nature Bill’s principles, they insist, will remain a pressing issue for Parliament and the UK’s environmental agenda.
