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Sarah Gibson's Climate-related Tweets, Speeches & Votes

We've found the following climate-related tweets, speeches & votes by Sarah Gibson

• 24 Jun 2026: Parliamentary Speech

  I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate, and I thank the Minister for the time she has given to such an important topic. In its report on this budget, the Climate Change Committee clearly stated that behavioural change is essential to achieving the carbon reductions we need. However, the seventh carbon budget prioritises emerging technologies and greenhouse gas removals, a strategy that courts failure if those technologies do not deliver. Equally as important, it runs the risk that large parts of the population will be left downstream. The public need to see direct benefits from decarbonisation, and they need to feel that it is something they can be part of—as the seas rise, there has to be space for everyone on the boat.

  I would like to draw the House’s attention to one particular area that has already been mentioned by colleagues, which is the decarbonisation of our homes. In 2022, emissions from residential buildings accounted for one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, yet the Climate Change Committee has admitted that retrofitting existing dwellings is not going to be one of the easiest bits to shift. I speak on this topic as a member of the Environmental Audit Committee, as an officer on the future homes, skills and innovation all-party parliamentary group, and as an architect by trade. Decarbonising our existing homes is essential to achieving our carbon budget, and the public need incentives, clear information, consumer protection and accountable technical advice. The warm homes plan is a step in the right direction, but it already risks making some of the same mistakes that past Government-funded retrofit schemes encountered.

  I have a doctor in my constituency who, with the best will in the world, tried to put external insulation on her home, only to find that it was damp. Before she even sent me the photographs, I knew exactly what the cause was, but what was really worrying was that she did not, and neither did her installer. Without sufficient knowledge, neither contractors nor occupiers can make the right decisions for their homes. If you were having a knee replacement, Madam Deputy Speaker, you would not expect to need to source your own surgeon, book your own operating room and then decide which implant material is the most appropriate, because that is a complex and expert-led process. However, so is retrofitting a home. That is why I am asking for technical support for those applying for Government funding, from an initial analysis through to installation support and final sign-off. We need people to trust in the decarbonisation process, or we risk alienating the communities necessary for its success. It takes only one horror story for the surrounding community to become nervous, and it takes only one media circus for that to spread.

  The warm homes plan is a fantastic opportunity to realise significant change in one of the stickiest and most difficult areas, but if the seventh carbon budget is to succeed, retrofitting our existing housing stock must be an essential part of that. It cannot be left on the “too difficult” pile. It represents a threefold benefit: it decarbonises people’s homes; it reduces energy bills; and it improves quality of life. I would be delighted to meet the Minister to set out a plan for how we can make retrofitting viable and take it off that “too difficult” pile. For this carbon budget to succeed, we need a clear road map. We need those contingency plans, and we need to make sure that while this Government are leading internationally as an example to others, they are bringing the whole community with them.

  Full debate: Climate Change

• 25 Nov 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  Absolutely. Right across the built environment, careers take a long time, and therefore we need to be supporting different types of people into those careers at a later age. If we want to meet housing targets, we need planners, architects and surveyors. Otherwise, we will not meet our net zero commitments and we will not be able to unlock the large-scale retrofit of existing homes that is needed and that, as we know from experience, requires technical support to get right. We cannot meet those ambitions while simultaneously shrinking the pipeline of qualified professionals across the built environment.

  Full debate: Level 7 Apprenticeships

• 13 May 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  As Liberal Democrats, we are clear that the circular economy is not just a sustainability concept; it is a practical, forward-looking economic model that responds to the urgent challenges of waste, resource scarcity and climate change. At its core, the circular economy is about keeping resources in use for as long as possible, through reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling, rather than relying on the traditional “take, make, dispose” model. That shift is essential because the current, linear economy is inherently wasteful. We extract raw materials, use them briefly and discard them, often sending valuable resources to landfill or incineration.

  For Government and industry, the circular economy offers a strategic opportunity to modernise production, drive clean growth and lead global sustainability. We need to embed the circular economy principles, not only in waste and resource policy but across our industrial strategy, product design, and procurement and investment decisions. If we are serious about achieving net zero and protecting future generations, the circular economy must be a central pillar to our economic and environmental thinking.

  Full debate: Product Regulation and Metrology Bill [ Lords ] (First sitting)

• 12 Dec 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  When I speak to some of my small innovative businesses, especially those in renewable energy, one thing that concerns me is that they are taking staff on who do not have experience in the field. There simply are not enough people with experience, so businesses are taking people on speculatively who they hope to encourage, teach and train on the job. If they realise early on that that is not possible and that the employee is not suitable for the sector, they need to be able to start again and try again without feeling penalised. There is no way they can do this over a 10-minute coffee, as one Government Member suggests, because these people have no experience in the field. They are on a learning curve as much as the employer is. This probation period is vital for both sides to understand whether the sector, which is new to many people, is appropriate.

  Full debate: Employment Rights Bill (Eleventh sitting)

• 21 Oct 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  The Liberal Democrats urge Ministers to ensure that new measures to support workers go hand in hand with support for small businesses, starting with the reform of our broken business rates system. The current system effectively taxes business premises and machinery, which discourages investment and heavily burdens key sectors in my constituency, from retail and manufacturing to renewable energy production. Again, if Ministers are open to meeting me and my Liberal Democrat colleagues, we would be happy to discuss our proposal for reforming this broken system and bolstering our SMEs.

  Full debate: Employment Rights Bill

• 15 Oct 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  I congratulate the hon. Member for East Grinstead and Uckfield (Mims Davies) on securing the debate. I share her concerns about the high street, retailers and microbusinesses—like her, I have many in my constituency. I welcome the international investment summit and the Government’s industrial strategy, which will give businesses certainty and incentivise them to invest in new technologies, grow the economy, create jobs and tackle the climate crisis. However, page 5 of the strategy makes it clear that the Government will focus on urban areas; there seems to be no strategy for growing the rural economy. The Government say that they will devolve significant powers to the mayoral combined authorities, but I must ask the Minister what their plans are for areas of rural England that are outside metro mayoral authorities, such as my constituency of Chippenham.

  A recent report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs stated that about 14% of manufacturing happens in rural locations, and a considerable amount of that is significant to those regional economies. Many of those small and medium-sized enterprises specialise in areas such as food processing and equipment manufacturing, a lot of which comes from the diversification of farming families. Rural areas are at the forefront of the UK’s renewable energy production: 70% of wind energy, and a lot of solar energy, is produced in rural areas. Chippenham has a large number of rural solar farms, which are important, up-and-coming local businesses.

  Full debate: Business Confidence

• 16 Sep 2024: Tweet

  Not only am I backing the #CANbill I am calling on this government to prioritise this bill in parliament. We need urgent action on the climate crisis in the UK now. @zerohour_uk https://twitter.com/SarahGibsonLD/status/1835707094999220327/photo/1 [Source]

• 11 Sep 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Quality employment and prosperity came with the railway when it was built. Access to transport is equally important to the growth of the area today. It will play a vital part in my constituency’s future as an innovation hub. We are currently home to some fantastic cutting-edge businesses, from the renewable energy sector through to the health sciences. They are complemented by the provision of excellent technical education—namely that provided by the Wiltshire college and university centre, whose campuses in Lackham and Chippenham will be critical to the growth of dynamic young companies in the future. I intend to be a strong voice championing skills, employment and opportunity in that part of the world.

  Full debate: Building Safety and Resilience

• 10 Jun 2024: Tweet

  Wonderful to see the manifesto showing we will take action on climate change. https://twitter.com/friends_earth/status/1800169657577640040 [Source]

• 28 May 2024: Tweet

  This article makes it clear. Given that the Climate Emergency is the biggest challenge facing us all... we need to get the Tories out. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/28/no-tory-mps-voted-positively-on-climate-issues-since-party-took-power-study-finds [Source]

• 02 Aug 2023: Tweet

  A vote for the #LibDems is a vote for a plan for renewable energy, funding for retrofit to insulate homes, and a real reduction in Carbon emissions. Let's put the UK back in the lead against climate change.. #voteLibDem https://twitter.com/GreenLibDems/status/1686176882197168128 [Source]

• 23 Mar 2023: Tweet

  Interested to discover that 7% of the carbon footprint of the University of Bath is the heating, whereas 19% is Student Travel. Makes one think about encouraging international students from the other side of the world. #ClimateEmergency [Source]

• 05 Mar 2023: Tweet

  solar farms have the added benefit of protecting the land from speculative development. Important in this case given the proximity between settlements. The land gets a rest from farming and sustainable energy produced locally. Local resident's objections were understandable. https://twitter.com/Cath_Read/status/1631424933216518149 [Source]

• 02 Mar 2023: Tweet

  It was pleasure to hear John Barnes of Calne without parish council at Strategic planning committee state the importance of renewable energy [Source]

• 30 Nov 2022: Tweet

  We have all be let down by a government that hasn't taken the climate emergency seriously or provided the control necessary to ensure good housing. https://twitter.com/Wera_Hobhouse/status/1597947619300773888 [Source]

• 27 Oct 2022: Tweet

  Just as United Nations says countries need to reprioritise climate change or face catastrophe our PM hasn't time to go to the COP 27. If the Tories hadn't trashed the economy they'd have time for the world's most pressing issue. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63418876 [Source]

• 22 Jun 2021: Tweet

  Very sad that our declaration of a climate emergency in 2019 was ignored by all but 4 members of the strategic planning committee today. https://twitter.com/4sarahsthoughts/status/1407327124336398336/photo/1 [Source]