Hastings residents in Westminster Hall at the 9 July climate lobby, waiting for Helena Dollimore MP. Image: ESC

Hastings MP pressed on retrofit shortfall at UK climate lobby

Residents of Hastings & Rye joined thousands from across the UK at a mass lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 9 July. Energise Sussex Coast’s Gabriel Carlyle reports.

Ten friends and supporters of local community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast travelled from Hastings to Parliament on Wednesday 9 July to take part in a mass lobby of Parliament organised by the Climate Coalition, the UK’s largest group of people and organisations dedicated to tackling climate change and restoring nature.

The issues that they wished to raise with local MP Helena Dollimore (Hastings & Rye) included the need for:

• a properly-funded programme to deliver a retrofit revolution for UK homes, lowering bills, ending fuel poverty and reducing the UK’s carbon emissions;
• an immediate increase in funding for the Community Energy Fund, so that the government can make good on its vision for 8GW of local and community-owned power – and thousands of new jobs – by 2030; and
• a Local Electricity Bill that would enable smaller renewable energy schemes – especially those owned and run by local community groups – to sell their power directly to local people.

Hastings resident Lynne Salvage ‘green card’s her MP Helena Dollimore after the latter fails to show-up on time at the climate lobby of Parliament on 9 July. Photo: Amanda Jobson

Funding shortfalls

According to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC), to meet its climate targets the UK needs to carry out at least 4.6 million more ‘big’ energy efficiency measures (eg. loft, wall and floor insulation) and 14 million smaller upgrades (eg. draught-proofing and hot water tank insulation) between 2025 – 2030.

However, meeting these recommendations would require roughly double the amount of funding that the government has announced so far ie. £26bn over this Parliament rather than £13.2bn.

Likewise, funding for the Community Energy Fund – a government programme that specifically funds feasibility and development work for community energy projects – is only one-sixth (£5m instead of £30m) of what Community Energy England says is necessary for the government to achieve its vision of massively expanding the sector.

Act Now. Change Forever.

St Leonards resident and local Councillor Amanda Jobson, on her way to the climate lobby of Parliament on 9 July. Photo: La Pethwick

The ‘Act Now. Change Forever’ lobby of MPs on 9 July was organised by the Climate Coalition, which encompasses over 130 organisations, including Oxfam GB, the National Trust and the Co-op, with a total of over 20 million members

Thousands of people from every corner of the UK attended the 9 July event to tell their MPs that this is a moment for leadership that protects what matters most — our health, our nature, our communities, our climate, and our future. Over 100 people from East Sussex registered to take part.

The event is being followed-up with a nationwide Lobby Week (13 – 20 September), where constituents will continue conversations with their MPs in every corner of the UK.

Kate Meakin, director of Energise Sussex Coast told me: ‘The climate crisis and the cost-of-living crises are both urgent and community energy projects can be part of the solution to both. That’s why we attended the climate lobby of Parliament on 9 July to press our MPs on the need for a properly funded retrofit revolution for the UK’s homes, adequate funding for the Community Energy Fund and a Local Electricity Bill. With the big energy companies, the shareholders enrich themselves at the expense of our communities. But with community energy, local people get lower bills, our community gets clean energy, and the whole community gets to benefit from a community fund.’

Hastings MP, Helena Dollimore – second from right – meets with Hastings residents at the climate lobby of Parliament on 9 July. Photo: Energise Sussex Coast

Also in: Green Times