How Green is your MP?
Does your local Member of Parliament (MP) care about climate? How clean is their voting record? 650 MPs are elected each cycle, many of whom are held entirely unaccountable on the issue of climate change. Few MPs have a perfect score by our metrics, so we think it is high time that citizens and activists hold our representatives to account on issues we care about.
About
This MP tracker resource is currently in development by the UKYCC, and aims to ultimately provide a tool for community engagement with elected officials and their climate record. Our public-facing database contains past key votes or commitments which MPs have made in relation to climate change.
This project is currently in an open development phase therefore we cannot confirm the accuracy of all information. We would love to hear suggestions of other criteria we can add to the database, improvements to the site, or anything else in between – let us know!
Methodology
Developed by a team of young volunteers at UKYCC, our motive behind the method was shedding light on voting outcomes in relation to UK Parliament’s numerous archaic rules, hoops, and procedures impacting individual accountability and transparency. As a self-led, and largely self- taught, team we chose to highlight votes where MPs had opportunities to support and increase the UK’s capacity to confront the climate crisis. Such as, opposition or support of expanding fracking in the UK, divestment, or renewable energy targets. We also examined signed letters, and campaigns like Divest Parliament.
Many votes around the environment are decided on party lines or due to the measures being packaged alongside them. The aim here is to account for situations where MP climate commitments were directly and clearly demonstrated. Our sources come from a mixture of open web resources, particularly TheyWorkForYou and Hansard.
Human error is still an factor in this early project, so if you spot one don’t hesitate to flag it so we can rectify the mistake. We will constantly update this tool with relevant information as it becomes available. We welcome feedback about what other votes we can include here; UKYCC does not endorse individual MPs nor particular parties. Our focus is to demand greater engagement with the climate crisis from elected officials, hence us highlighting the records of power holders in the UK’s system of government.
Scoring and Votes Explained
Past votes informing our data
Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill – Sept 2020 to present
Transport Emissions 2030 Target – 5th Feb 2020
Climate Debate attendance – 28th Feb 2019
Supports Divest Parliament – ongoing
Signed Net Zero letter – 2018
Decarbonisation Target Range (2016) – 14th Mar 2016
Ending Onshore Wind Subsidy – 21st Jan 2015
Fracking Moritorium Vote – 26th Jan 2015
Decarbonisation Target Range (2013) – 4th Jun 2013
Green Investment Bank Climate Target – 17th Oct 2012
The Tools
Find Your MP
The MP Climate Record
Engage With Your MP
Development Plan
As a work in progress, we welcome your feedback on the project’s developemt.
Current planned developments:
- A map function.
- Greater coverage of Early Day Motions (EDMs).
- Inclusion of information about climate scepticism links
- Individual information about what constituency groups people can get involved into to pressure their MP
- Templates for emailing MPs and other resources to increase community-MP climate engagement
- Resources relating to the climate policies of parties
As volunteers, our timeframe for implementing the developments cannot be concrete. Also. we always encourage solidarity and support on this issue, so please reach out if your organisation wishes to highlight or help out with ‘How Green Is You MP?’.
