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Richard Foord's Climate-related Tweets, Speeches & Votes

We've found the following climate-related tweets, speeches & votes by Richard Foord

• 15 Sep 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  I am very far from being an elder of this House, but I am among the minority of Members who saw the end of the Liz Truss premiership during the last Parliament. That period is most associated with the Truss-Kwarteng mini-Budget, but as the hon. Member for Bolton West (Phil Brickell) pointed out, it should really go down in history for its association with fracking. What few people recall is that the Truss era fractured, gave out volatile gases and combusted on 19 October 2022 with a Conservative party rebellion over the Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill. Forty Conservative MPs did not vote with their Government against an Opposition motion to ban fracking. Some Conservative MPs abstained because they were not in the House, but others abstained as a matter of principle, and I commend them. They included the former Minister Chris Skidmore, who was one of those principled MPs who would never vote in support of such a proposal. I want to set out why the rebels were right. It is fair to say that the moratorium is insufficient on two grounds: first because it is inadequate, and secondly because of climate change more broadly.

  What the public do support is action to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. Eight in 10 people say that they are concerned about climate change?they want a transition to clean energy. In mid and east Devon, protecting our natural environment is a priority for thousands of people who have corresponded with me on the subject. Reports of nature in decline, and of the loss of our precious wildlife and biodiversity, are very concerning to them. I hope that this debate will not only protect communities from the damage of fracking now but, in a small way, help to protect future generations from the worst impacts of climate change. The hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Dr Chowns) talked about the need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. We have just seen the hottest average summer temperatures on record, which are around 130 times more likely because of human-induced climate change.

  Full debate: Fracking Ban

  There is a real danger that investment in fracking will be a catastrophic mistake, as the fuels, facilities and resources become stranded assets. There is a real risk that they will lose their value prematurely as the tide of renewable technology advances around them. To finish where I started, I am concerned about the Conservative party?s journey towards political extinction. Polling suggests that support for any fracking is a complete misreading of where our constituents are. We Liberal Democrats could quietly gloat that the Conservative party has misread the room and enjoy the electoral dividends that that brings, but we would much rather that it returned to the consensus. Climate change is one of the gravest issues that our generation of politicians has been sent to this House to tackle. Let us not make a catastrophic mistake.

  Full debate: Fracking Ban

• 15 Sep 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  The National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell, has said that Europe will experience real hardship this winter. We have repeatedly seen the UK exposed to energy shocks linked to volatile fossil fuel prices set on international markets: Russia and Ukraine, the strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and now the Saudi east-west oil pipeline. Will the UK step up investment in clean, domestic renewable energy production, as well as in the grid to distribute it?

  Full debate: Saudi East-West Oil Pipeline

• 10 Sep 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  May we have a debate on adapting our rail infrastructure to the effects of climate change?

  Full debate: Business of the House

• 24 Jun 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  The real choice before us is whether we prepare our economy for the future or watch other countries seize the opportunities that we allow to pass us by. The UK has every reason to be proud of its record on international climate leadership and diplomacy. The Climate Change Act 2008 has become a model for climate governance around the world. Some 76 countries have followed the UK’s lead in developing climate governance frameworks and we have stood at the forefront of international co-operation on the issue, positioning Britain as a key player in securing the 2015 Paris agreement and COP26 in Glasgow.

  Full debate: Climate Change

• 24 Mar 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  I agree with the hon. Member about the need for energy security, and certainly we do not want a supply chain that depends on the People’s Republic of China, which could lead to economic coercion. Does he share my view that the deduction is that we need home-grown manufacturing for renewable energy infrastructure?

  Full debate: Oil and Gas

• 28 Jan 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  Q5.   The Met Office reports that climate change is driving wetter winters, but the United States withdrew from the Paris climate agreement yesterday, on the same day that much of the west country disappeared under floodwater. My part of Devon is submerged, and needs better flood defences. Would the Deputy Prime Minister like to invite his US counterpart on a fishing trip to the south-west?

  Full debate: Engagements

• 6 Jan 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that in 2024, China installed five times more renewable power than Europe and eight times more renewable power than the United States. In the same year, more than two thirds of our liquid natural gas in the UK came from the United States. In the difficult geopolitical situation we find ourselves in, how are the Government making the UK more self-sufficient for our energy supply?

  Full debate: Energy Transition

• 12 Nov 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  The Climate Change Committee’s top recommendation was that the Government’s climate plan ought to remove policy costs from electricity bills. Does the hon. Lady think that the Government could seek to address that in the Budget?

  Full debate: Carbon Budget Delivery Plan

• 17 Jul 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  Too much waste still ends up in incinerators. Sometimes, what we think will be repurposed or recycled is in fact burned. The number of incinerators in the UK has risen from 38 to 52 in the last five years. This is the dirtiest form of energy production, releasing more greenhouse gases than any other method.

  While my constituents may have been enjoying their ice creams at Seaton or walking the south-west coast path during the recent heatwave, these hotter summers are a stark reminder of our collective failure to tackle climate change. If we can increase the amount of plastic we reuse and create the circular economy that my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) mentioned, we can use less disposable plastic and less single-use plastic, and therefore reduce carbon emissions.

  As we know, the US President has never been a great advocate for tackling climate change or reducing plastic waste. He made that abundantly clear in his attention-seeking stunt in February, when he proudly brought back plastic straws. At the heads of delegation meeting earlier this month, the US backtracked on its previous position. It walked away from earlier commitments on control measures and financing, and came out firmly against plastic production caps. The Prime Minister has explicitly cited family values as a foundation of his strong relationship with the US President. Could the Minister urge the Prime Minister to leverage that personal connection, and ask the President to consider not just global leadership, but the world that his own family will inherit? We have to consider young people in this picture, and for that we will need serious and concrete commitments at the global plastics treaty negotiations.

  Full debate: Global Plastics Treaty

• 6 May 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  A single journey by rail produces up to 75% fewer carbon emissions per passenger than the same journey by car. We know that transportation as a whole accounts for 27% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, so the railway stations would support and bolster the Labour Government’s climate change mitigation aims. The reopening of Wellington and Cullompton stations is not just some idea that will benefit a few people in the south-west of England; it is very much thought through, supported on a cross-party basis, economically sound and environmentally responsible, and it could be socially transformative.

  Full debate: Cullompton and Wellington Stations

• 29 Jan 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  8. What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on meeting net zero targets in Wales.

  Full debate: Net Zero

  not just for meeting net zero targets but

  Full debate: Net Zero

• 22 Jan 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  5. What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on support for the green energy sector in Scotland.

  Full debate: Green Energy Sector

• 7 Jan 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  Resilience is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly; I suggest that the UK Government do not currently offer us that. The covid-19 pandemic exposed critical weaknesses in the planning and preparedness for large-scale emergencies. While the UK has made great strides in terms of our recovery—and we did after the pandemic—we may still lack the capacity to withstand other crises. Our vulnerabilities to emerging climate change, to food security risks and to hybrid threats from the UK’s adversaries leave us unprepared to endure shocks and unable to recover swiftly.

  Full debate: National Resilience and Preparedness

  My hon. Friend is spot on. A report produced last October by the University of Exeter and Chatham House highlighted the fact that climate change and environmental degradation are a real weakness in the UK’s national security strategy. Authors Tim Lenton and James Dyke from the University of Exeter contributed to that report, and talked about the national security strategy having a glaring blind spot for climate threats. The report specifically identified risks to the food supply chain as a critical concern, no doubt exacerbated by some of the challenges we have seen lately from Government policy around agricultural property relief and the proposed changes to inheritance tax.

  Full debate: National Resilience and Preparedness

  The UK should adopt a total defence approach focusing on stockpiling, training and central co-ordination to enhance resilience against hybrid threats and other challenges. We must move beyond our piecemeal responses and develop a proactive plan to safeguard our nation and its future. Will the Minister commit to implementing the UK covid-19 inquiry’s recommendations to strengthen our emergency preparedness? Will she prioritise a national food security plan to ensure resilience against climate change and supply chain disruptions? Will she outline the steps the Government will take to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter hybrid threats and protect our national infrastructure?

  Full debate: National Resilience and Preparedness

• 10 Oct 2024: Tweet

  This Bill will could not be more urgent. The 2024 State of the Climate Report found that 25 of the 35 “vital signs” which track climate change have hit record levels. It is high time to take serious action to avert catastrophe. https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/commons-government-bill-mps-caroline-lucas-b2626936.html?loginSuccessful=true [Source]

• 30 Aug 2024: Tweet

  Now we demand cast-iron assurance that the Cullompton station project will go ahead! The road is one fix for Cullompton, but rail will do more to help with our climate goals and connect our communities on foot and by bike. [Source]

• 30 Aug 2024: Tweet

  While certainty of funding for the relief road is welcome, residents are still waiting for cast-iron assurance that the Cullompton station project will go ahead. Road is one part of the solution, but rail will do so much to help with our climate goals and connect our communities. [Source]

• 03 Aug 2024: Tweet

  Whether globally or locally, having better tree and hedge cover helps people, wildlife, and our climate goals. @eastdevon are running a survey on how local woodlands can be improved and expanded. The survey runs until 6th September and can be found at: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2024/08/have-your-say-on-the-first-tree-hedge-and-woodland-strategy-for-east-devon/ [Source]

• 31 Jul 2024: Tweet

  Tackling climate change is the most urgent challenge we face as a society. I am proud the @LibDems back @zerohour_uk’s #CANBill, to give climate and nature a fighting chance at a future. We continue to push for real climate action. https://www.libdemvoice.org/creating-a-fairer-greener-future-for-all-75758.html [Source]

• 25 Jul 2024: Tweet

  RT @timfarron: Making homes more energy efficient is absolutely essential to us tackling the climate emergency, reducing soaring bills, and… [Source]

• 12 Jul 2024: Tweet

  RT @SarahDykeLD: I've written to the Secretary of State for Energy Security & Net Zero to suggest that local communities should benefit fro… [Source]

• 28 Jun 2024: Tweet

  RT @LibDems: Tackling the climate crisis doesn't have to just be a cost. We can build the green jobs of the future, upgrade homes and bri… [Source]

• 01 Jun 2024: Tweet

  The @LibDems are putting climate change and the environment front and centre of our campaign. Whether it’s reaching net-zero, protecting biodiversity, or cracking down on the sewage scandal - we a real plan to protect our planet’s future. https://friendsoftheearth.uk/system-change/green-policies-and-general-election-who-leads-pack [Source]

• 13 May 2024: Tweet

  The @UniofExeter’s @coxypm says climate change is "already dangerous". 80% of IPCC scientists anticipate at least 2.5% global heating. I say this Conservative Government isn't doing enough. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/08/world-scientists-climate-failure-survey-global-temperature [Source]

• 2 May 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Today we read in the press that the oil and gas company Shell will take some of its bumper profits, creamed off the top of people’s soaring energy bills, and use it for share buy-backs. Shell plans to start a £2.8 billion share buy-back scheme to inflate its own share price, rather than to help tackle the climate emergency or boost our economy. A 4% tax on share buy-backs as proposed by the Liberal Democrats could raise about £2 billion per annum for our public services, so could we please have a debate on share buy-backs and the potential benefits of such a levy?

  Full debate: Business of the House

• 21 Apr 2024: Tweet

  RT @LibDems: Tackling climate change means investing in new technologies, driving innovation and building the green jobs of the future. F… [Source]

• 16 Apr 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Lastly, I have a very specific point to make and a recommendation for the Minister. Given that we reckon that 18 million tonnes of CO2 was released into the atmosphere from the UK in 2021 due to food waste, we really have to think about how we can offset it. The Foodsave initiative—Jake Bonetta and co—has come up with a fantastic proposal. At the moment, the UK-wide emissions trading scheme generates over £4.5 billion—that was the case a couple of years ago anyway—but the Government are spending as little as 20% of the money received through the emissions trading scheme on cutting domestic emissions. What if the voluntary carbon market, which is unregulated, could be used for redistributing some of the funds to some of the community-based organisations that I have described? The Minister will sum up shortly and I encourage him to consider that redistribution scheme operators, such as Foodsave, are expressly eligible to sell their carbon offsetting through the scheme.

  Full debate: Food Waste and Food Distribution

• 30 Mar 2024: Tweet

  Warmer homes mean reduced bills, subsidies and carbon emissions; a win-win-win situation. Instead, Conservative cuts to home insulation schemes led to higher bills, colder homes, and straying off the path to net zero. We need to get home insulation back on track. https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1774076614193918059/video/1 [Source]

• 26 Mar 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  The third win is, of course, in the reduction of emissions. Given the concerns that the Government might not reach their net zero target by 2050 and that the world might not meet the target of reducing temperature rises by 1.5 ° , we absolutely have to be concerned about reducing emissions, too. Heating homes, saving money and reducing emissions are all things that can be achieved with cavity wall insulation done properly.

  Full debate: Cavity Wall Insulation

• 09 Mar 2024: Tweet

  Offshore wind has the potential to make the south west and Wales a world leader in renewable energy and green technology. Instead, the Government continues to subsidise oil and gas, holding back the UK from its full potential. https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1766411355840504311/video/1 [Source]

• 5 Mar 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  I would be very happy to. Of course, at that time the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change had different responsibilities.

  Full debate: South West Water

• 20 Feb 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Most people in this country accept that we need energy security, that we must move away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources, and that we must seek to reduce our carbon emissions to meet the challenges posed by climate change. They see the effects of climate change every day. Recently in my corner of Devon, the communities of Feniton and Cullompton showed me what it was like to experience flash flooding. It has caused terrible damage to constituents’ properties and destroyed some of their most treasured possessions. Flooding will only get worse and more frequent as the UK continues to suffer the effects of climate change.

  We in the UK have shown leadership in this area. We should be setting an example to the rest of the world on the need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but also crucially on the economic benefits that the UK can enjoy as a result. The Government claim that by mandating the North Sea Transition Authority to run regular bids for new oil extraction licences, they will protect the UK’s energy security, but that simply does not add up, because 80% of the oil is exported, so there will be no material difference to people’s energy bills, and we will still be reliant on imported liquefied natural gas. We saw that in the second invasion of Ukraine in 2022; it caused huge spikes in oil and gas prices and left consumers facing spiralling energy bills. They would not have been nearly so badly affected by that if we had continued to invest in onshore wind in the way we were doing in 2015, or if we had continued to insulate buildings in the way we were in the coalition years.

  It is not UK-produced oil that would have mitigated those price rises, but UK-based renewable energy and demand avoidance, encouraged by a more progressive Government than this one. For example, Octopus Energy notes that £5 billion could have been saved by consumers if onshore wind had continued to be developed at 2015 rates, but the Conservatives were left to govern alone, and that prospect vanished.

  To put it bluntly, this is the approach of a Government who are too scared to embrace the future and make the fundamental changes that we need to build a better future for our children. Many on the Conservative Benches have highlighted the challenges of phasing out oil and gas as we transition to renewable energy, but there are not only challenges. There are also opportunities to support new home-grown, clean energy that will power our homes and create a swathe of well paid jobs. We cannot cling to the past because we are too scared of the future.

  Today, China is working on zero-emission shipping. The California-China Climate Institute at Berkeley is looking at 21st-century innovations that will power the leading economies of this century. If China tunes into BBC Parliament and sees us in our 19th-century surroundings, it would think it quaint that we are debating which 20th-century energy source we should cling to.

  Churchill’s decision in 1911 put Britain at the forefront of innovation and design, allowing Britain and British talent to reshape the character of the 20th century. Do Conservative Members disagree with Mr Churchill? Are they daunted by the prospect of seizing the opportunity presented by new sources of energy, including renewable energy, to power the UK in the 21st century? Why are they seeking to take these short-term, short-sighted decisions that fly in the face of our climate commitments?

  This Conservative Government already offer subsidies to the oil industries, and they are already indifferent to the price of renewable energy being tied to the price of gas. It is time for a rethink. It is time to focus on improving the national grid, boosting home-grown green energy and investing in the technologies of tomorrow.

  Full debate: Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill

• 20 Feb 2024: Tweet

  RT @ClimateAPPG: This Bill is the approach of a government too scared to embrace the future and make the fundamental changes needed to buil… [Source]

• 20 Feb 2024: Tweet

  RT @ClimateAPPG: This Bill is the approach of a government too scared to embrace the future and make the fundamental changes needed to buil… [Source]

• 14 Feb 2024: Tweet

  From NHS dentistry, to the future of renewable energy, here is a summary of what I’ve been working on this week: https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1757820498569019450/photo/1 [Source]

• 10 Feb 2024: Tweet

  From NHS dentistry, to the future of renewable energy, here is a summary of what I’ve been working on this week: https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1756338738454478911/photo/1 [Source]

• 08 Feb 2024: Tweet

  RT @LibDems: Liberal Democrats have a plan to bring down bills and tackle the climate crisis, including doubling the Warm Homes Discount, a… [Source]

• 08 Feb 2024: Tweet

  RT @LibDems: Investing in green energy and tackling the climate change is a chance to invest in our future. If we get this right we can c… [Source]

• 24 Jan 2024: Tweet

  The Petroleum Licensing Bill doesn't only compromise our climate commitments. Ironically, it puts our national security at risk too. A rapid transition to net-zero will help protect our planet from the climate crisis, and will protect the UK from despotic dictators too. https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1750120705012670806/video/1 [Source]

• 22 Jan 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  In recent years, the British farming sector has come under enormous pressure. Uncertainty over the amount of support and the way the Government give the support have been central to that, but we have talked on other occasions about the deleterious effect of some of the trade deals that have been struck, such as those with Australia and New Zealand. The pressure has pushed many small farmers almost to the brink, and threatens the future of the countryside itself. I invite hon. Members to do what I did in December. I went to the top of Hembury fort, which is in the area I represent, and surveyed the countryside. It is very apparent that farmers do a whole lot more than produce food for our families: they tend to the land, provide public goods and provide solutions to climate change mitigation, which we all need. If we want to create thriving communities, we have to ensure that our farmers get a fair price for their produce. I am afraid that that it is often not the case: many struggle against the big supermarkets.

  Full debate: Groceries Supply Code of Practice

• 08 Jan 2024: Tweet

  RT @ClimateAPPG: Maximising North Sea oil and gas is 'opposed' to promise at COP28 climate summit, government told by @ClimateAPPG @Carol… [Source]

• 12 Dec 2023: Tweet

  Recalling the UK's senior represenative from #COP28 so he can vote on the Rwanda plan is truly desperate stuff. It shows that the Govt has totally lost control of the situation and doesn't care about tackling climate change - which is single biggest issues facing our planet. https://twitter.com/adamvaughan_uk/status/1734530578047815871 [Source]

• 06 Dec 2023: Tweet

  Brilliant to see Newton Poppleford win a ‘Wild About Devon’ award for their work on combating climate change. I believe that actions taken at a local level can make a real difference, so it's good to see East Devon leading the way. https://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/23971966.village-climate-change-group-wins-wild-devon-award/?ref=rss [Source]

• 05 Dec 2023: Tweet

  Yesterday, I ended up stuck in Taunton for several hours due to flooding on the rail line. With events like this becoming more common, it shows why we need more investment in flood defences and to mitigate the impact of climate change - which hits coastal and rural areas hardest. [Source]

• 29 Nov 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  In the UK, heating homes accounts for 14% of carbon emissions, and in England our homes produce more emissions than cars do. That is not only costing the environment in the future; it is also costing taxpayers now. A decade ago, the then Prime Minister Cameron’s “green crap” riddance resulted in uninsulated lofts and in cavity walls being left unfilled. Given that that decision is now adding billions in additional costs to taxpayers and making it harder to meet the 2030 decarbonisation target, can the Minister ask the Foreign Secretary whether he regrets it?

  Full debate: COP28

• 29 Nov 2023: Tweet

  'Cutting the green crap' has led in recent years to higher taxes, higher energy bills, draughty homes, and has constrained us in our efforts to tackle climate change. I hope Lord Cameron repents and seeks to make the United Kingdom a world leader instead. https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1729927195408154726/video/1 [Source]

• 20 Nov 2023: Tweet

  RT @EnvAgency: Climate change is causing more extreme rainfall, increasing the risks of flooding. This #FloodActionWeek, take some simple… [Source]

• 15 Nov 2023: Tweet

  I'm proud to support the Climate & Ecology Bill amendment to the #KingsSpeech. It's never been more important to lock the UK's climate and nature commitments in law to reverse nature's destruction and deliver a just transition. #CEBill https://commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/82575/Html?subType=Standard#_idTextAnchor003 [Source]

• 25 Oct 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  The hon. Lady is enlightening us about how solar technology is moving on. On the point about local authorities, I have been approached by the Blackdown Hills Parish Network, a network of councils in my area that represent the Blackdown Hills area of outstanding natural beauty. It suggests that the problem might not be local authority planners but the national planning policy framework that planners have to work in accordance with. Specifically, it fails to give sufficient emphasis to the climate emergency, ecological decline and the principle of leaving the environment in a better state than when we inherited it. Does the hon. Member agree?

  Full debate: Renewable Energy Providers: Planning Considerations

• 28 Sep 2023: Tweet

  This report shows we need to do more to safeguard nature and protect our countryside. The Oil and Gas Authority "taking Net Zero into account" in the decision to green light Rosebank is like an arsonist "taking combustion into account" while pouring petrol over a tinderbox. https://twitter.com/nationaltrust/status/1707096817299595536 [Source]

• 21 Sep 2023: Tweet

  RT @BBCPolitics: "Conservatives are pretending that everything that tackles climate change is more expensive, they're just factually wrong"… [Source]

• 20 Sep 2023: Tweet

  RT @EdwardJDavey: In 2018 Boris Johnson said f*** business On Monday, Liz Truss said scrap net zero targets Today Rishi Sunak has done bo… [Source]

• 19 Sep 2023: Tweet

  I also wonder how he’ll explain this U-turn to his daughters, given his previous claims that they motivate his supposed commitment to tackling climate change? https://twitter.com/henrymance/status/1549088018161713152 [Source]

• 19 Sep 2023: Tweet

  This is a setback for the fight against climate change. Sunak can't claim to be leading the charge for Britain. It also raises questions about who’s calling the shots - is it Sunak or is it Liz Truss, who crashed the economy and caused pain for millions? https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/rishi-sunak-set-delay-petrol-30980454 [Source]

• 11 Sep 2023: Tweet

  British farmers produce some of the best produce with the least greenhouse gases. Yet supermarkets do not always make clear when the meat on their shelves is homegrown. That's why I'm backing the @NFUtweets push for a 'Buy British' option at supermarkets. https://www.campaigns.nfuonline.com/page/134658/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=external [Source]

• 08 Sep 2023: Tweet

  It is undeniable that the more frequent and extreme heatwaves like this are a result of climate change, and both government and business need to treat this as the emergency it is. [Source]

• 27 Jul 2023: Tweet

  Cold-hearted Conservative Lord Frost points to fewer people dying from hypothermia as a benefit of climate change. Given his record of supposed benefits for the UK, I wouldn't set great store by it. Climate change is the biggest issue our generation faces. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/25/lord-frost-rising-temperatures-likely-beneficial-britain [Source]

• 19 Jul 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  It is really good that the issue of solar farms and planning has been raised. It is obvious to us all that we have to shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy; nobody would demur from that. As well as the environmental benefit of saving the planet, renewable energy also has the advantage of cutting people’s bills, and again nobody would argue against that.

  Full debate: Planning and Solar Farms

  When approval is sought for renewable energy projects—not just solar but onshore wind—they can hit a roadblock and get stuck in limbo. That is why this process can drag on and become a real scourge on our communities, as the developers and the local people battle it out.

  Anyone buying a new Ordnance Survey map today will see something they would not have found 20 years ago: many new solar farms. I am not a big fan of the term “solar farm”, because to me a farm is for producing food, not electricity. Solar and wind are two of the quickest and cheapest forms of sustainable energy. If we are to reach net zero, we need a joined-up plan for connecting our existing power grid to renewable sources of energy. Solar accounts for just 5% of total electricity output, compared with about 27% for wind.

  Two of the main challenges in respect of advancing plans for solar are, first, how we plug into the national grid and, secondly, how we address the concerns of local communities. I hear the point about how prized agricultural land can appear to be lost under solar panels. The effect on local communities relates not only to the site—people sometimes get a little bound up with what solar panels look like—but to the sustained level of heavy goods vehicle traffic, because a lot of traffic goes back and forth to maintain the panels. We have to properly address local communities’ concerns to ensure that we do not hold up all solar panels and all solar renewable energy in this country.

  Full debate: Planning and Solar Farms

  The Liberal Democrats in general are, and I in particular am, very much in favour of renewable energy, and I am happy to put that on the record. On solar in particular, some of the proposals for solar farms, as they are called, are too large; we need to distribute and disperse such renewable energy projects so that they do not take up vast tracts of land, as they do in my constituency.

  Full debate: Planning and Solar Farms

  I am grateful to the hon. Member for again seeking clarification. I will not be writing to Devon County Council, because that is not the local authority charged with planning, but certainly the local authorities in my patch that are charged with planning know that, in general terms, I am in favour of renewable energy generation, but that I am not in favour of the concentration of solar farms that we are seeing in particular parts of my patch.

  In summary, if we are going to invest in schemes such as solar farms, their lifespans must not be too long and we need sustainable renewable energy solutions that work with farmers and local communities so that we can take people with us.

  Full debate: Planning and Solar Farms

• 19 Jul 2023: Tweet

  Climate change is the biggest issue of our age. Sadly, too few politicians seem to grasp the scale of the issue, thinking only ahead as far as the electoral cycle permits. If we don't take real action to tackle climate change and cut global emissions, then everyone will suffer. https://twitter.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1681677199064047618/video/1 [Source]

• 10 Jul 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  Two years ago, in 2021, swifts were added to the red list in the UK’s conservation status report, and the RSPB reports that the number of swifts has halved in 20 years and that fewer than 90,000 arrived last year. The same is true of other species that can use similar nesting sites: the house martin has declined by 50% since 1960. It should be said that species that are on the list, which are retreating or falling in number, are being threatened on a global level. It is not just in the UK that numbers are falling. This is very much an international issue, and it is made worse by climate change. Environmental degradation around the world is affecting bird populations.

  Full debate: New Housing: Swift Bricks

• 28 Jun 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  On the point about the use of renewable electricity for the extraction of oil, does the hon. Lady agree that it is disingenuous for lobby groups to talk about oilfields potentially saving carbon dioxide emissions? Does she also agree that comparing carbon emissions in the extraction of oil in the UK with carbon emissions elsewhere is both a red herring and greenwashing?

  Full debate: Rosebank Oilfield: Environmental Impacts

• 20 Jun 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  On the point about multinational corporations, does the right hon. Member think that it is right that we treat multinational corporations that produce oil and gas in a different way from the way we treat renewable energy companies, including companies that produce renewable energy and invest in renewable energy projects? At the moment, it seems that the energy profits levy treats those things in different ways. Will she be supporting Liberal Democrat amendments to the Bill to encourage investment in renewable energy projects?

  Full debate: Finance (No. 2) Bill

• 09 May 2023: Tweet

  This shows the power of democracy in fighting climate change: Turkmenistan ranks 161 of 167 countries in terms of democracy, and giving autocrats free reign leads to catastrophes like this. Protecting and promoting democracy is vital in saving our planet. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/mind-boggling-methane-emissions-from-turkmenistan-revealed?CMP=twt_gu#Echobox=1683608726 [Source]

• 21 Mar 2023: Tweet

  RT @Wera_Hobhouse: Contracts for Difference have been the most successful tool to grow renewable energy in the past decade. Now the Gover… [Source]

• 09 Feb 2023: Tweet

  RT @timfarron: If we are at war with climate change then farmers are our soldiers. However many are at risk of going out of business than… [Source]

• 08 Feb 2023: Tweet

  RT @Wera_Hobhouse: Peatland degradation accounts for 5% our greenhouse gas emissions. Restoring them holds huge potential for carbon reten… [Source]

• 1 Feb 2023: Parliamentary Speech

  Liberal Democrat new clause 1, in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Sarah Olney), seeks to ensure that this new UK Infrastructure Bank will remain in operation until the Government’s net zero and environmental commitments have been met.

  Full debate: UK Infrastructure Bank Bill [Lords]

• 14 Dec 2022: Tweet

  RT @AxminsterNub: East Devon District Council is now asking residents to comment on proposals to tackle the climate emergency made in its n… [Source]

• 08 Dec 2022: Tweet

  RT @LibDems: The decision to approve a new coal mine in Cumbria cancels out all the progress Britain has made on renewable energy. Rishi… [Source]

• 08 Dec 2022: Tweet

  RT @timfarron: So, the government approves a new coal mine in Cumbria. A ridiculous and dreadful decision. Climate change is our biggest ea… [Source]

• 21 Nov 2022: Tweet

  RT @Wera_Hobhouse: The Government calls itself a "world leader" in the fight against climate change, but COP27 proved otherwise. How can a… [Source]

• 15 Nov 2022: Tweet

  RT @Wera_Hobhouse: Why is the UK government dependent on a private company to get us to #NetZero ? https://t.co/SyrZlCAKbT [Source]

• 15 Nov 2022: Tweet

  RT @Wera_Hobhouse: Current net zero strategy is devised on a 50% chance of success. It is utterly unacceptable that the Conservatives are… [Source]

• 14 Nov 2022: Parliamentary Speech

  “neither does it win on our aspiration for high standards, climate change targets, or reliable food security.”

  Full debate: Australia and New Zealand Trade Deals

• 3 Nov 2022: Parliamentary Speech

  Does the hon. Member agree that the failure of the UK Government to invest properly and sufficiently in renewable energy in recent years has damaged our ability to see security through the lens of human security, rather than what matters to Governments? Does he agree that the £4.5 billion of energy exports to the UK that Russia profited from last year emboldened that country to sustain its traditional state-centric view of security and, in that sense, has exacerbated climate change?

  Full debate: Climate Change and Human Security

• 27 Oct 2022: Tweet

  RT @johnestevens: In 48 hours as PM, Rishi Sunak has: ❌ Pulled out of attending Cop27 in Egypt ❌ Removed Cop president Alok Sharma from Ca… [Source]

• 27 Oct 2022: Tweet

  We’re facing a climate emergency and the actions we take (or don’t take) now will affect the future of our planet forever. We need to be leading the world in the fight against climate change, not shirking away. Both Rishi and the King should be attending. https://twitter.com/NatashaC/status/1585654200402432006 [Source]

• 19 Oct 2022: Vote

  Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill - Pro-climate vote: Aye - Their vote: Aye

• 16 Oct 2022: Tweet

  RT @LibDems: The Conservatives once again seem to be watering down commitments on tackling climate change and reducing air pollution. We h… [Source]

• 25 Jul 2022: Tweet

  RT @PoliticsJOE_UK: pretty sure they spent more time discussing liz truss' earrings than the NHS + climate change put together [Source]

• 16 Jul 2022: Tweet

  Climate change is real - FACT Hearing Conservative leadership candidates row back on green initiatives and net zero is deeply concerning. We can’t afford to wait for COP27 and COP28 to say we need to do more. Inaction now dooms the future our planet and of our children. https://x.com/RichardFoordLD/status/1548232795008339971/video/1 [Source]

• 11 Jul 2022: Tweet

  Attended a very informative briefing on climate change this afternoon from @uksciencechief. Clear we need to do far more to tackle the climate emergency that’s gripping our planet before it’s too late. Good to also hear from my old colleague Stephen Belcher from the Met Office. [Source]