Join us in the biggest virtual mass lobby to demand action on climate

Join thousands of people mobilising across the UK to take part in the first ever virtual lobby tomorrow, 30 June, to demand action from their local MP to invest in a green and healthy future.   

People from all backgrounds and all walks of life will be calling on local MPs and government to prioritise policies and investment to build a resilient economy that is green and fair, protecting the most vulnerable in the UK and around the world.

Nearly 10,000 people, representing 96% of constituencies across the UK, have already signed up to take part and arrange a meeting with their MP to get the government on track to accelerate the transition to net-zero, invest in green jobs and infrastructure, restore nature and support the most vulnerable at home and overseas.

Resources on finding your local MP, template emails and details on green recovery asks can all be found online here, and people are being urged to join this rallying call for change.

The virtual lobby will give people an opportunity to meet their MP online, harness the national momentum building for a green recovery and demand action.  More than 100 MPs are will be involved and all Westminster parties have committed to take part.

A day of activities will also take place on the same day on Zoom – the video conferencing platform – with guest speakers and panel discussions with journalist Lucy Siegle, among others.

Greenhouse has already helped to secure more than 190 articles in media across the UK and we continue to work tirelessly to ensure that people are aware of the event and that we raise awareness through media and online.  On the day itself, we will be taking people’s voices to parliament, with a flotilla of ad bikes, featuring images of people across the country with their asks, in our mission to drive impact and climate action.

New research for the campaign, commissioned on behalf of  The Climate Coalition, has uncovered that seven in ten (70%) people want the government to undertake stronger climate action. As we emerge from lockdown, almost three quarters (72%) believe we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to tackle climate change and protect the environment.

• 75% of UK adults believe that if the government does not act now to invest in a greener future, we’ll go back to normal and the opportunity will be lost.
• Over eight in ten (84%) believe we need to protect nature for future generations.
• Almost two thirds (61%) are concerned that climate change will impact the most vulnerable in society as we have seen during COVID-19.

The lobby is being organised by The Climate Coalition, which consists of over 100 leading UK organisations representing more than 20 million people. They are the largest group of people dedicated to action on climate and the ecological crisis who are coming together online to demand that their MPs invest in a greener, fairer, healthier society. The Climate Coalition includes members such as: RSPB, Women’s Institute, National Trust, The Woodland, Trust, Tearfund, Greenpeace, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, WWF, Green Alliance, and many more.

Tanya Steele, CEO of WWF UK, said: ‘A green recovery isn’t a choice, it is the only way forward. In the wake of a global pandemic the public are raising their voices to protect the planet – and our leaders must listen.  To ensure any recovery meets our commitment to end our contribution to climate change by 2050, the UK must adopt a new test which holds its plans to account. The Government has the chance to ensure a green recovery for the whole nation – and it must take it.’

Hilary McGrady, Director-General of National Trust, said: “MPs and Ministers should be seizing the moment to be bold and brave with a green recovery that delivers for the environment, people and business. Parliament can do this by setting ground-breaking targets to restore nature through the Environment Bill, delivering an ambitious Agriculture Bill that ensures public money delivers public goods, and investing in a nature recovery network.”

Melissa Green, General Secretary of the Women’s Institutes said: ‘WI members are preparing to come out in force and join the first ever virtual lobby for a green and fair economic recovery.  Living under lockdown has done little to reduce public concern about climate change, and WI members are finding inventive ways to join movements for change and engage their MPs. The UK is at a critical point and the eyes of WI members will be on how the Government chooses to respond to the lobby.’

Clara Goldsmith, Campaigns Director at The Climate Coalition, commented: “As we continue to grapple with the global Coronavirus pandemic, people from all walks of life are calling for a cleaner, greener future. We’ve seen the way that governments have reacted to the public health crisis which shows the scale and speed at which change can happen. We now have an unmissable chance to get on the road to recovery and create an economy that works for all of us – getting us on track to net zero emissions, and restoring the natural world around us.”

Virtual activism is on the rise – the survey showed that 41% of people have felt conflicted about a lobby or a protest in lockdown because of COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, so many are making their voices heard virtually.

Join us at the lobby, contact your MP to demand a green and fair recovery, and keep up with all of the action on social media at the #TheTimeisNow hashtag.

Last year Greenhouse supported the Climate Coalition with PR ahead of the Time is Now lobby – securing articles in The Guardian, Independent, Huffington Post and more. Thousands of people united in Parliament Square to demand action on the climate crisis and meet with over 130 MPs. Read about last year’s event here.