We are facing a climate catastrophe. Leading scientists have warned that we have 12 years to take emergency action on climate change, or we face the gravest threats to our local and global environment. This includes worsening risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people. We must act urgently, starting by immediately declaring a national climate emergency.

If we let global warming go beyond 1.5°C, coral reefs will be completely eradicated, populations of insects that pollinate plants will be decimated, and ice-free summers in the arctic will be commonplace.

I was part of the campaign in Machynlleth, Wales, that got our local council to be one of the first in the UK to declare a Climate Emergency. All across the country, and indeed all over the world, people are calling on their councils to follow suit.

Humankind is at a crossroads. Now it is time for our elected representatives in Westminster to act by declaring a nationwide Climate Emergency.

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt around the world. But it’s not too late. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report says that limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C may still be possible - but it requires ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector and local communities.

In order to avert climate disaster, we are calling on the government to:

1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ now.

2. Halt fossil fuel expansion and fossil fuel subsidies by 2020 and begin to support the roll-out of clean renewable energy technologies immediately.

3. Ensure current and future policies are consistent with averting climate change and preventing ecological collapse.

4. Support the rapidly emerging climate action plans and resilience initiatives throughout the country.

5. Reduce carbon emissions to net zero no later than 2030.

Please sign my petition calling on the UK Government to declare a climate emergency and take urgent action to avoid a climate disaster for all of us, and for generations to come.