One of the issues I am most passionate about is the global environment and slowing the terrifying rate at which our climate is warming.

Climate change is something that will affect all of us. It is not something we can hide from and hope it goes away; it is something that today is a clear and present danger to our society. Climate change has a disproportionate affect on communities in the third world. The challenge is to make sure they don’t make the same mistakes that we did.

I invited Douglas Alexander to speak in Chorlton yesterday at St Ninians church, to listen to the views of local residents. Douglas is one of Britain’s negotiators at the Copenhagen Climate Change summit. He is also Secretary of State for International Development. 

Britain’s CO2 emissions fell by 10.8 million tonnes last year and our greenhouse gas emissions were 66 million tonnes lower than in 1997. Our new £100 billion blueprint for renewable energy will deliver a step change in low carbon energy supply. A lot has been achieved, but we need to achieve more, and it was very refreshing to listen to Douglas tackle some very difficult questions from local residents.