October 2013

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be in the House of Lords to see the latest instalment of the decarbonisation target saga unfold. This is the target which would see carbon removed from the UK’s electricity system by 2030. It should be in the Energy Bill but isn't, because George Osborne fought to keep it out.

We've received a number of letters now from the Arctic 30. We'd like to share a few highlights from a sample of them. They reveal what life is like for them in Murmansk, and how important your support is to them.

It took one call from the crew on Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya rig to have an armed squad of Russia’s special forces there within an hour. The very next day, Russian agents illegally boarded the Arctic Sunrise and arrested all 30 people on board.

The group of 28 activists and two journalists are now being held in Russian jail on trumped-up hooliganism charges, for peaceful protest against drilling for oil in the Arctic.

The story of the Energy Bill has been a long uphill struggle, but we’re nearly there! It began with months of delays. Then there was the shock at the draft Bill which lacked any substantial action to address climate change. Eventually hundreds of organisations piled on the pressure that led to the second biggest rebellion this Commons has seen. Now the Bill is at its final stage in House of Lords – and we’re still fighting for a victory that is almost visible on the horizon.