Votes Explained

Find out more about the votes included in our scoring system, and why they were included.

Transport Emissions 2030 Target

5th February 2020

MPs voted on developing and implementing a plan to eliminate the substantial majority of transport emissions by 2030.

Transport accounts for 26% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. They have not substantially fallen since 1990, in fact they have been increasing since 2010. Without a sustained effort they will not reduce by the margins needed to meet net zero emissions by 2050.

Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill

September 2020 - present

The CEE Bill is a Private Member’s Bill that has been written by an alliance of scientists, lawyers, and academics. The bill aims to

Ensure the UK plays its fair role in keeping global temperature increase below 1.5°C by taking account of the UK’s full carbon footprint and ensuring we do not rely solely on unproven technologies to reduce emissions.
Actively conserve the natural world, with a focus on protecting UK biodiversity, soils and carbon sinks.
Allow members of the public to contribute through a Citizens Assembly.

The CEE bill has the potential to be the biggest step forward in UK climate legislation since the 2008 Climate Change Act. Currently, emissions from goods produced overseas, and from international shipping and aviation are not included in the UK’s carbon footprint, so accounting for this will ensure greater action is taken to reduce these emissions.

Climate Debate Attendance

28th February 2019

As a conseqence of the emerging youth strike movement here in the UK, MPs held a debate on UK climate policies on the 28th February 2019. Despite this being the first opportunity to discuss climate in the House of Commons in over two years, the majority of MPs did not attend.

At the time UKYCC recorded attendance from MPs, which has now being incorporated into the criteria.

Supports Divest Parliament

Ongoing

MPs signed a pledge calling for the Trustees of the Parliamentary Pension Fund to quantify, disclose and review the fund’s investments in carbon-intensive industries, engage in a dialogue with fund members and managers on responsible investment, and commit to phasing out fossil fuel investments over an appropriate time-scale.

Divesting the parliamentary pension fund is an opportunity to show show leadership on climate action, responsible investment and the management of climate risk.

Signed Net Zero Letter

2018

In 2018, MPs came together to sign a letter requesting the government increase its climate ambition to net-zero by 2050. This has been subsequently carried through in law.

The Climate Coalition has the full recorded list on its website which has been recorded on our website.

Decarbonisation Target Range (2016)

14th March 2016

MPs voted on setting a decarbonisation target for the UK with revision of the targets each year.

As it was the first attempt to set carbon budgets within UK legislation, it provided a blueprint for future decarbonisation legislation.

Ending Onshore Wind Subsidy

21st January 2015

MPs voting on this bill were deciding whether to allow public funds to subsidise (pay for some of) the development of onshore wind turbines.

This vote removed support for renewable energy, making it more difficult more local authorities to give the go-ahead to new wind installations - even if it's the community who want to build and run them.

Fracking Moritorium Vote

26th January 2015

A fracking moratorium (temporary ban on fracking) was voted on during the Third Reading debate of the Infrastructure Bill.

By voting against the amendment to the infrastructure bill MPs voted not to ban fracking for at least 18months and not to require a review of the impact of such gas extraction on climate change, the environment, the economy and health and safety.

Decarbonisation Target Range (2013)

4th June 2013

MPs voted on whether to include a target to decarbonise the UK's electricity generation, to reach net-zero by 2030 in the 2013 Energy Bill.

This bill was described as one to determine the shape of the UK’s electricity generation for years to come. MPs decisions reflected the importance they placed on renewables being part of that shape.

Green Investment Bank Climate Target

17th October 2012

MPs voted on whether the UK Green Investment Bank should explicitly act in support of the target of reducing UK carbon emissions to 20% of 1990 levels by 2050.

The GIB offers opportunity to deliver major projects on the UK’s ambitious carbon reduction targets and to boost the green economy with a focus on renewable energy. It was sold in 2017 to the private Australian group Macquarie.

Climate Change Act 2008

28th October 2008

The Climate Change Act makes it the duty of the government to ensure that net carbon emissions (emissions we release minus those we capture or offset) in 2050 are at least 80% lower than they were in 1990. Its aim is to avoid dangerous climate change. As part of this act the Committee on Climate Change was set up. It advises the government on interim carbon emission targets to make sure that we don’t miss the 2050 target.

The Climate Change Act provides a legal framework to hold the government to account to meet climate change targets.