Milton Keynes’ Parliamentary Labour Party Candidates Charlynne Pullen and Hannah O’Neill are supporting the Global Climate Strike this Friday, September 20 and are calling on the government to do more to protect our planet.

The event will start a week of action around the world with people expected to protest in over 120 countries demanding that world leaders take immediate action on the climate crisis that we all face.

In the UK, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) have passed a motion to fully support the school student strike this Friday, with UNISON and Unite calling on their members to join rally’s all over the country which span from Aberdeen to Southampton.

This strike comes as the recent report from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released statistics which proved the scale of the issue we are facing. The report says that even if the amount of emissions halve globally over the next 12 years and reach net zero by 2040, the earth’s temperature will still increase by 1.5‎°C. This will mean that an expected 383 million people will be exposed to water scarcity and the rise in heat will devastate Coral Reefs all over the planet.

The Milton Keynes Labour Party are calling on more to be done to stop this crisis from happening and are fully supporting the Global Climate Strike.

Charlynne Pullen, Labour Candidate for Milton Keynes North said: “We’re in the middle of a climate emergency, and I support those calling for action this week. In the UK, we need a green industrial revolution that nationalises energy companies and properly invests and commits to using renewable energy.”

She added: “There are many ways to take action – for example in our green city, we need more public integrated transport – as a regular cyclist and runner on our redways, I know they could be much better used. We know the Tories had talked lots and done little on green issues. A Labour government would bring the change that our planet needs.”

Hannah O’Neill, Labour Candidate for Milton Keynes South said: “We are proud to live in a city where the Labour run Council passed a motion declaring a ‘climate emergency’ earlier this year.  As a city, we have pledged that we will become carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative 20 years after that.  We cannot stand idly by while our planet is destroyed by the short term thinking of successive Tory Governments.”

She concluded: “Only under a Labour Government will national politics follow the lead of councils such as ours, here in Milton Keynes, and take the action necessary to safeguard the future of our children and grandchildren.”