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As the Second Reading of our English Climate Emergency Education Bill draws ever closer, it’s really hitting us just how big this is. A few years ago, most people would have scoffed at the idea that a Bill, written by students, demanding Climate Education could enter Parliament and become law, but look where we are!
This is a huge success for the climate movement. We’re showing just how much public sentiment towards the Climate Crisis and climate action is changing. We have eleven MPs officially sponsoring the Bill from eight different parties across the UK and many, many more have congratulated and given us unofficial support for bringing the Bill into reality.
Though this Bill is only relevant to the English Education system, you may know that we’re working on Bills for Scotland and Wales. The more successful the English Bill is, the more attention is likely to be drawn to these Bills, and the more successful they are likely to be too!
Our Bill passing the Second Reading would be a victory not just for Teach the Future but also for UK climate activism. It would prove that power is starting to shift in our favour, and the climate crisis is beginning to get the legislative attention it deserves. Perhaps it would encourage more activists to bring forward Bills challenging climate change. Maybe more representatives would be willing to support these activists and contest the current legislative system’s stance on climate change. The progress of our Bill could be the tipping point for national climate action. The possibilities are unknown!
Of course, the possibility that MPs could reject the Bill on Friday is very real too. It makes us anxious and throws a spanner in the works of our current plans. However, we have backup plans organised just in case. Additionally, not everything we’ve achieved in the process will disappear. We’ll still have the support of representatives from across the parties, and we’ll still have a more extensive base of public support. It will be disheartening, but it’s not the end of the line for the Bill.
Climate action is an even-evolving, non-linear process in every scenario. Sometimes you can have a great win followed by a seemingly massive downfall, but, as ever, it’s really important for us to look at the long-term trend. Organisations like Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace have rapidly grown over the last few years, with XR working in 45 countries and Greenpeace having over 3 million members! The determination and power people put into their activism today is astounding.
“We are a generation of scared people. But we are very persistent. And very united.” - Hilda Nakabuye, Uganda
Our persistence is paying off. A just transition is coming.