ENVIRONMENT

On this page you will be able to read about my work as a member of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee, as well as about a number of environmental issues with which I am actively involved.  These include:

• climate change

• renewable and sustainable energy

• waste and recycling

• Birmingham's environment

• British Waterways

• giant hedges

Early Day Motions - To look up Parliamentary motions that I have signed on this issue click here and tap in e.g. 'Energy' in the 'search for' field and jones/lynne in the 'Member' field.

Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee

I am a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, which is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and its associated public bodies including the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Commission for Rural Communities.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's website provides details of current and past inquiries but here are some recent examples:

• Energy efficiency and fuel poverty - report published 10 June 2009.  Click here to read a press release on energy conservation and the campaign for greener homes - 14 July 2009. 

• Securing food supplies up to 2050: the challenges for the UK - report published 21 July 2009.   Click here to read about actions I am taking to reduce my food waste.

• Ofwat Price Review 2009 - report published 24 July 2009.

• Draft Flood and Water Management Bill - report published 23 September 2009.

During the 2005/06 Session, we are conducted a series of linked inquiries into aspects of climate change policy:

• The role of renewable energy in meeting the UK’s climate change aims, with specific reference to bioenergy – biomass and biofuels.  Read our report Climate change: the role of bioenergy, which came out on 18th September 2006, or the just the summary.
• The “citizen’s agenda”: actions which individuals can change take in their daily lives to help tackle climate change, including micro-generation, local communities, schools and businesses.  Click here for my personal pledges.
• The Kyoto Protocol after Montreal: the operation of the “Kyoto rulebook” agreed at Montreal and future developments, more information on the UN website: http://unfccc.int/2860.php

 
Asia-Europe Dialogue on Climate Change in Helsinki, 7-8 September, 2006

I represented the EFRA Committee at these discussions.  Other parliamentarians came from India, Portugal, Germany, Italy, UK, Finland, Malaysia, Sweden and the European Parliament.  There were contributions from legislators, scientists and representatives of government, business and civil society organisations from China, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Netherlands, Sweden, Indonesia; these included  the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the European Environment Agency (EEA). 

You can read our message on Climate Change, delivered to the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) - Heads of State and Government from thirteen Asian nations, twenty-five European nations and the President of the European Commission, who gathered in Helsinki on 10th & 11th September 2006.  I was disappointed that our emphasis on establishing a limit for a maximum global temperature rise of 2 degrees compared to pre-industrial levels to avoid dangerous climate change was not even mentioned by the declaration of the ASEM Heads of State.  Click here to read the ASEM declaration.

Climate Change

My last words in Parliament - on climate change

I am a member of GLOBE International, which aims to support political leadership on issues of climate and energy security, land-use change and ecosystems. Please click here for information on the Rome Legislators Forum - June 2009.

Click on the links below to read about my views covering the following topics:

• The 10:10 Campaign to achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010.

• My letter to Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, about financing from the developed world to help poorer countries adopt green technologies and protect their people from the consequences of climate change.

• The Expansion of Heathrow Airport - January 2009
  And click here to read a speech I made during the Opposition Day Debate on the expansion of Heathrow Airport, January 2009.

• The Climate Change Bill announced in the Queen's Speech on 6th November 2007

• My response to Freinds of the Earth's 3 demands of the Government's Climate Change Bill

• Action at national and international levels
• The Stern Review
• The Kyoto protocol
• Aviation and the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EETS)
• Personal carbon allowances
• Green taxes

• A copy of a letter (of which I was a signatory) to Gordon Brown about carbon reporting

• Sustainable Moseley 'SusMo'

• My response to the Birmingham Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, March/April 2007

• Response to the Energy Review - 12 April 2006

• My response to the Government's consultation on their climate change review - Feb/Mar 2005

• Click here to read more about my views on climate change.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy

• Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives Consultation: my response to the proposals for Feed-In Tariffs - October 2009

• Latest news on "feed-in tariffs" - 29 October 2008

• UK Renewable Energe Strategy Consultation: my response - September 2008

• Press Release - October 2007
  "MP gets Prime Minister to take another look at feed-in tariffs for renewable energy"  I then wrote to Gordon Brown querying the Hansard record of his answer to me at Prime Minister's Questions and briefing him on feed-in tariffs.  Read my letter here.

• Press Release - September 2007
  "Renewables Funding in a mess, says MP"
  Following coverage of my press release in The Guardian on 1st October - "Red tape and cuts see householders give up on green grants, MP says", I was invited on to the Radio 4 programme 'You and Yours' to talk about the issue.  You can listen to a podcast of the interview by clicking here.

• I visit Baxi boilers in Warwick - 14 May 2006

• Response to the Energy Review - 12 April 2006

• Press release - 05 December 2005:
  Sustainable energy

• Press release on micro-energy systems - April 2005:
  Early Day Motion 801

• Renewables Press Release -  June 2002:
  Lynne Jones MP Goes Green for World Summit

• Visit to Germany - March 2002:
  Report

Waste and Recycling

• Click here to read about how the UK compares with the rest of Europe on recycling; why I support variable charging for waste; and recycling in Birmingham - or the lack of it!

• Click here for details of my visit to an 'industrial symbiosis' programme in Kings Heath in my constituency.

Birmingham's Environment

• My response to the Birmingham Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (April 2007)

• My response to the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy consulation (January 2007)

• Read about the Growing the Railways campaign launch (March 2007)

• In a debate I tell the Minister how improvements to parts of the Birmingham canal network have aided the regeneration of the city centre (December 2006)

• Cycling in Birmingham - read about my efforts to improve the experience!

British Waterways

• Press release - November 2006:
  British Waterways Funding Cut

Giant Hedges

• Click Here for information