Sally Keeble has asked the Government to toughen up the Climate Change Bill to protect wildlife and has got a meeting with the secretary of State for the Environment about the matter.

The move follows the consultation on the bill held at Northampton University in January by the Northampton Climate Change Forum. The meeting highlighted the lack of protection for wildlife in the legislation, which is the first in the world to tackle the problem of climate change.

As a result of the meeting Sally Keeble has written to the Environment Secretary Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP asking for the bill to be amended. She has asked for the Climate Change Committee, which has to oversee the implementation of the bill, to include someone who knows about the impact that climate change has on wildlife. At present the bill sets out eight different areas of expertise for committee members – but does not mention wildlife at all.

In her letter she said: “Whilst I understand that the responsibility for adaptation, which deals very substantially with wildlife issues, will be dealt with by other legislation, it seems an omission to fail to mention wildlife in this section of  this bill.  Wildlife is really important for us in Northampton – both in the surrounding countryside, and also our urban wildlife. If the Climate Change  Committee is to look at the impact of climate change on society, it should also look at its impact on our wildlife.”

She has also asked if the Secretary of State will be meeting a deputation from the Climate Change Forum to discuss the proposal.

Sally Keeble said: “This local consultation produced an important proposal for improving the bill. I hope that the Government will listen and make this amendment to the bill.”