Climate and Nature
Growth and the planet are not incompatible.
I'm an engineer. I used to work in the aviation industry - and transport planning. I'm also a committed environmentalist.
I firmly believe that those things aren't incompatible - and that there are serious investments we can make to make green growth more than just a buzzword.
We can achieve net zero without cutting jobs by investing in the green infrastructure projects we need. We can decarbonise aviation. We can unleash a revolution in renewable power - building on the great work already done by the Liberal Democrats in government over a decade ago.
We can do all this whilst protecting our green spaces - in fact, not just protecting them, but enhancing them by nurturing biodiversity.
This fundamental belief is the way I approach climate and nature as an issue - which intersects with everything else.
In late 2025, I attended the National Emergency Briefing - which underlined for me once again just how severe the scale of the challenge facing us is.
That's why I am pushing for more support to decarbonise our economy - to make sure we reach net zero before it's too late.
As Chair of the Future of Aviation and Aerospace APPG in Parliament, I've been able to help shape legislation and speak up for the serious steps forward we must take.
The SAF Bill Committee
Shaping legislation for our future
As Chair of the Future of Aviation APPG, I sat on the Bill Committee for the government's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Bill - which is a big step forward for supporting the production of SAF in the U.K. - making us a world leader in one of the most important challenges facing our climate ambitions.
I helped shape the legislation, and continue to make the case for stronger investments to repurpose so much of our existing oil and gas infrastructure to develop these greener fuels that will power our future global economy.
You can watch some of my contributions on the topic below.
The landmark Climate and Nature Bill
I was incredibly proud to back my Lib Dem colleague Roz Savage's Climate and Nature Bill - which would've represented a huge step forward in climate change policy across the U.K.
I am glad the government have indicated they intend to implement parts of the Bill - but we will keep pushing them to take the bold action needed to stop the biodiversity crisis and decarbonise our economy.
Similarly, my colleague Max Wilkinson's Sunshine Bill is now law in the United Kingdom, meaning all new homes must be built with solar panels. That is a huge Lib Dem achievement in Parliament and I was proud to speak on its behalf.
The Environment Agency is increasingly powerless to take enforcement action against companies that breach pollution limits. That just isn't acceptable.
Air pollution in London is a serious public health risk - and it was an honour to meet brave campaigner and founder of Mums for Lungs Rosamund Kissi-Debrah in 2025. She is the mother of Ella Roberta, who passed away at just nine years old and became the first recognised air pollution death in London.
Without an Environment Agency with real teeth, we won't be able to guarantee that climate action is truly effective and that limits won't be breached.
Right here in Sutton, the company who operate our Beddington Energy Recovery Facility - Viridor - have breached emissions limits. I'm glad that the Council have written to the Government and the Environment Agency to renew its demand that the application by Viridor to expand the amount of waste they treat is refused.
A stronger Environment Agency wouldn't need to be asked. It would step in to enforce the law.
OFWAT isn't fit for purpose: our rivers are at risk.
I've urged the Government to put Thames Water into special administration - and replace OFWAT with a new regulator with real teeth. I fear that without this, our rivers will keep being polluted and damaged with potentially irrevocable damage.
Thames Water, which has recently hiked bills by as much as 35%, is on the verge of collapse. The Liberal Democrats have called for the board to be sacked and the company to be forced by the Government to put its customers first.
Bill payers are fed up with rising bills whilst the company pollutes our river and makes enormous profits.
Over the last four years, £62 million has been paid out to company executives in bonuses. This is at a time when the company is drowning in debt. A debt currently standing at a whopping £19 billion.
Over 25% of customer water bills are spent on paying interest on the company’s debt. That is our money, paying for their mistakes.
Just over the road to us in nearby Carshalton, there have been a number of sewage dumps and effluence spills into the river Wandle. In the last three years Thames Water have pumped sewage into the Wandle for over 124 hours.
My colleague Bobby Dean MP has been campaigning to hold those responsible to account and I back him every step of the way.
I fully support good investments being made to meaningfully tackle the sewage crisis - and was really impressed by the Thames Tideway Tunnel when I visited in 2025. Projects like this should remind us all that when we commit ourselves to the mission of protecting climate and nature whilst creating green jobs, we leap forward as a country.
