UK environmental charity, The Word Forest Organisation, calls for a new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) to be formed by the Government, tasked with facilitating a televised, science-led #WeeklyClimateAddress. The broadcast's remit: to show true UK climate leadership by keeping the public informed on what the Government is doing to mitigate the climate crisis in the short and the long term. This is to be coupled with climate awareness, climate solutions, and highlighting what measures will be put in place to help individuals, corporations and councils to take action.

The past 18 months have proved the UK Government is able to pivot in the wake of rapidly evolving news, from fluid situations, at short notice to produce frequent media broadcasts to address an existential crisis.

It's time to do the same for our other existential crisis: the climate crisis. 

To best facilitate these broadcasts the APPG should invite participation and contribution from independent accredited climate scientists who should also feature in the weekly broadcasts, as per Professor Chris Witty and Professor Jonathan Van-Tam in respect of COVID-19.

Further input should be sought from environmental NGOs and climate action groups. They have first-hand experience on the best ways to avert unnecessary catastrophic events from taking place. 

The Earth is now about 1.1°C warmer than it was in the 1800s and we don't appear to be anywhere near meeting the targets set in the Paris Agreement in 2015, which were designed to prevent global temperatures from exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It is now essential for the UK to have a non-partisan approach in dealing with problems we may all face on the way to reaching Net Zero. Drought. Interruptions to the food supply chain. Forthcoming extreme weather conditions. To name but a few. It's not political, it's an international climate crisis that needs collaboration.   

The Word Forest Organisation’s Patron, Meteorologist, Clare Nasir and Special Scientific Advisor, Professor Bill McGuire both support the #WeeklyClimateAddress campaign. They are featured, along with other climate concerned individuals, in a powerful poem written by the charity’s CEO and co-founder Tracey West, to Boris Johnson urging him to put the broadcast in place.

Tracey comments:  “The climate crisis is wreaking havoc across our planet. All countries, bodies of water, humans and wildlife are interdependent upon the wellbeing of each other. With increased frequency and ferocity, they continue to be gripped by extreme weather events and the related chaotic fallout: examples include extreme rainfall or glacier melt leading to flooding and landslides. The UK Government must now show leadership and take action today. Please support our petition by signing and sharing it, for all of our sakes."

As with the collaboration needed from politicians, we are delighted to be joined by Animal Interfaith Alliance, ASP, C&T, Colourful Dove, Dorset Green Party, Flower Pot Bakehouse, Garden Reassurance, Green Christian, Green Gazelles Rugby Club, incognito, LymeOnline, Phat Pasty Co, Psychadelephant, Swan Developments, This Mother's Wish and Violet Walk in our united request for a #WeeklyClimateAddress.

The results from this petition will be presented to the Government at Downing Street after COP26.