Against the backdrop of a disappointing COP26, Green Party spokesperson Sian Berry has called for less talk and more action.
Speaking to her local paper, Ham & High, the Camden councillor said: “Quite honestly, the things we’re doing right now are nowhere near enough. Greta Thunberg says it so well: it’s a lot of blah blah blah and not enough action.”
The conference has been criticised for allowing over 500 delegates to attend who have links to the fossil fuel industry; more delegates than any single country.
For Berry the battle to protect the environment must be also fought on a local level, with London councils putting pressure on the government to make bold decisions on climate change. That’s not happening, according to her. “What I’m seeing is a lot of local government being self-congratulatory about what they’re doing. ”
Berry points out the challenges of residents in her Highgate ward who are dealing with too much traffic, leaky homes and high energy bills. Some of the solutions she backs include Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and better environmental management of her local parks. Regents Park, Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park.