ENVIRONMENT

On this page you will be able to read about my work as a member of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee, as well as about a number of environmental issues with which I am actively involved.  These include:

• climate change

• renewable and sustainable energy

• waste and recycling

• Birmingham's environment

• British Waterways

• giant hedges

Early Day Motions - To look up Parliamentary motions that I have signed on this issue click here and tap in e.g. 'Energy' in the 'search for' field and jones/lynne in the 'Member' field.

Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee

I am a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee.  During the 2005/06 Session, we are conducted a series of linked enquiries into aspects of climate change policy:

• The role of renewable energy in meeting the UK’s climate change aims, with specific reference to bioenergy – biomass and biofuels.  Read our report Climate change: the role of bioenergy, which came out on 18th September 2006, or the just the summary.
• The “citizen’s agenda”: actions which individuals can change take in their daily lives to help tackle climate change, including micro-generation, local communities, schools and businesses.  Click here for my personal pledges.
• The Kyoto Protocol after Montreal: the operation of the “Kyoto rulebook” agreed at Montreal and future developments, more information on the UN website: http://unfccc.int/2860.php

 

Asia-Europe Dialogue on Climate Change in Helsinki, 7-8 September, 2006

I represented the EFRA Committee at these discussions.  Other parliamentarians came from India, Portugal, Germany, Italy, UK, Finland, Malaysia, Sweden and the European Parliament.  There were contributions from legislators, scientists and representatives of government, business and civil society organisations from China, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Netherlands, Sweden, Indonesia; these included  the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA). 

You can read our message on Climate Change, delivered to the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) - Heads of State and Government from thirteen Asian nations, twenty-five European nations and the President of the European Commission, who gathered in Helsinki on 10th & 11th September 2006.  I was disappointed that our emphasis on establishing a limit for a maximum global temperature rise of 2 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels to avoid dangerous climate change was not even mentioned by the declaration of the ASEM Heads of State.  Click here to read the ASEM declaration.

Climate Change

Click here to read about my views covering the following topics:

• The Climate Change Bill announced in the Queen's Speech on 6th November 2007

• My response to Freinds of the Earth's 3 demands of the Government's Climate Change Bill

• Action at national and international levels
• The Stern Review
• The Kyoto protocol
• Aviation and the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EETS)
• Personal carbon allowances
• Green taxes

• Click here for a copy of a letter (of which I was a signatory) to Gordon Brown about carbon reporting.

• Click here for details of Sustainable Moseley 'SusMo'

• Click here for my response to the Birmingham Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, March/April 2007

• Response to the Energy Review - 12 April 2006

• Click here for my response to the Government's consultation on their climate change review - Feb/Mar 2005
  

Renewable and Sustainable Energy

• Latest on "feed-in tariffs" - 29 October 2008

• UK Renewable Energe Strategy Consultation: my response - September 2008

• Press Release - October 2007
  "MP gets Prime Minister to take another look at feed-in tariffs for renewable energy"  I then wrote to Gordon Brown querying the Hansard record of his answer to me at Prime Minister's Questions and briefing him on feed-in tariffs.  Read my letter here.

• Press Release - September 2007
  "Renewables Funding in a mess, says MP"
  Following coverage of my press release in The Guardian on 1st October - "Red tape and cuts see householders give up on green grants, MP says", I was invited on to the Radio 4 programme 'You and Yours' to talk about the issue.  You can listen to a podcast of the interview by clicking here.

• I visit Baxi boilers in Warwick - 14 May 2006

• Response to the Energy Review - 12 April 2006

• Press release - 05 December 2005:
  Sustainable energy

• Press release on micro-energy systems - April 2005:
  Early Day Motion 801

• Renewables Press Release -  June 2002:
  Lynne Jones MP Goes Green for World Summit

• Visit to Germany - March 2002:
  Report
  

Waste and Recycling

• Click here to read about how the UK compares with the rest of Europe on recycling; why I support variable charging for waste; and recycling in Birmingham - or the lack of it!

• Click here for details of my visit to an 'industrial symbiosis' programme in Kings Heath in my constituency.
  

Birmingham's Environment

• My response to the Birmingham Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (April 2007)

• My response to the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy consulation (January 2007)

• Read about the Growing the Railways campaign launch (March 2007)

• In a debate I tell the Minister how improvements to parts of the Birmingham canal network have aided the regeneration of the city centre (December 2006)

• Cycling in Birmingham - read about my efforts to improve the experience!
  

British Waterways

• Press release - November 2006:
  British Waterways Funding Cut
  

Giant Hedges

• Click Here for information