AT the Great Cornish Green Energy Summit in Chacewater and at the numerous People’s Emergency Briefings I have been to, I have been asked what the government is doing to tackle climate change and how we are communicating what we are doing and why we are doing it.

Getting to clean, carbon-free power by 2030 free is vital. By speeding up wind, solar, nuclear power and grid infrastructure, we are trying to get to a clean power system that makes us independent of volatile fossil fuel markets and also creates homegrown decent jobs. Locally, Floating Offshore Wind, geothermal energy and mining the critical minerals needed for the batteries presents a real opportunity for Cornwall.

The government’s huge £15-billion Warm Homes Plan will cut household energy bills and reduce emissions by funding insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage in people’s homes. The plan should upgrade up to five million homes and lift around one million households out of fuel poverty by 2030. We have also changed regulations to allow plug-in solar panels, making solar power more accessible to renters and those living in flats.

Although we have to cut emissions, we also have to adapt to the changes we already see in our climate. As sea levels rise and winters become wetter, we are investing in flood protection and projects like ‘Making Space for Sand’ in Cornwall are working with nature to tackle coastal erosion in ways like moving coastguard huts and growing grasses on dunes to keep them strong and protect the roads and properties behind them.

Internationally, this government has re-established the UK's position as a leading voice on climate action. We have confirmed our commitment to reducing emissions by 81% by 2035 and reaching net zero by 2050. Clean energy investment is also a major opportunity for jobs and growth.

This summer was Britain's hottest since records began, bringing heatwaves, drought and wildfires. Over 1,000 schools were forced to close or reduce hours due to heat. In some of the driest regions, farmers are facing some of their worst harvests. Broccoli growers, for example, have seen yields cut by more than half due to a lack of water and dry soils, and poor harvests are pushing food prices higher. Tragically, this extreme heat also contributed to thousands of deaths, adding pressure on our health service, with hospitals reaching temperatures of over 41°C.

Faced with these realities, weakening our climate action would be a serious mistake. Climate change affects every part of our lives. The Conservatives' pledge to scrap the Climate Change Act and capitulation to Reform is irresponsible and destructive. This Act has helped the UK cut emissions by more than half, holds governments to account and helps ensure we are prepared for more extreme weather. More than 60 countries have introduced similar legislation since it passed.

The majority of people understand the challenge we face and want politicians to act. That is why this Labour government is sticking to its climate action promises. Here in Cornwall, we are often at the sharp edge of climate change. That is why we must stay the course and reject calls to scrap the Climate Change Act. A more secure future depends on it.