Kerry McCarthy Labour MP for Bristol East
This week I finally fulfilled a long-standing ambition, and established an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Its primary purpose is to ensure that the voices of these low-lying island nations are heard at COP26, which is being hosted by the UK in Glasgow later this year. The SIDS are disproportionately affected by climate change, from rising sea levels to extreme climate-related weather events, but have very limited resources when it comes to dealing with these problems; the global community has a responsibility to help.
Also this week, I was re-elected Vice Chair of the Oceans Conservation APPG – https://www.oceanconservationappg.org – whose secretariat is provided by Surfers Against Sewage, and I chaired a session of the APPG Agroecology, where we heard from Lords Minister Zac Goldsmith on COP 26, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, which is hosted by China this autumn) and the Environment Bill.
Despite everything else that is going on, it’s really important that we continue to fight on these environmental causes. If you’re interested in hearing more, here’s a speech that was made by the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States at COP25 in Spain, 2019.