Celebs and campaigners have said the new Prime Minister must take action to ensure targets are met
Celebrities have pushed Boris Johnson to take action on climate change.
Singer Ellie Goulding, actor James Norton and wildlife presenter Steve Backshall are among the 12 stars who have written a letter urging the new Prime Minister to cut climate emissions to “net zero”.
The letter asks the new Prime Minister to prioritise help for people to switch to electric cars, as well as plant more trees and make homes more climate-friendly with cleaner heating systems.
“There is no greater risk to life on earth than climate change,” it said.
“Taking ambitious action to end our contribution to climate change is essential to protect all species and the ecosystems that we all depend upon for survival.
“As Prime Minister, we are now writing to ask you to confirm that you will make tackling the climate emergency a top priority, and commit to ramping up the policies and investment needed to get us on track to net zero.”
The celebrities who signed the letter are supporters of organisations which make up The Climate Coalition, a collection of more than 130 groups representing more than 15 million people across the UK.
Johnson faced a similar call to take urgent action on climate change from Friends of the Earth Scotland last week.
The group’s head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Boris Johnson's number one priority as Prime Minister must be tackling the climate emergency. Deep, systemic changes must be delivered to bring down climate emissions significantly within the next five - 10 years, and decisions made in the next two years are key to this.
“The new Prime Minister must work with the Scottish Government to end exploration for new oil and gas in the North Sea and divert subsidies towards a just transition that supports workers and communities as we build a zero carbon economy.
“Johnson's Prime Ministership will ultimately be judged by how well his government responds to climate breakdown - the greatest crisis we face."
