Luke Martin John Brownlee

What are your views and priorities on some of the key environmental challenges that lie ahead, such as nature restoration, biodiversity loss, river pollution, active travel, climate change resilience, energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, sustainable agricultural methods, net zero targets, competing land uses (growing food, generating energy and protecting nature) and public transport – both in your constituency and more widely across the country?

The environment must be at the forefront of political thought. We must urgently reduce carbon emissions, and have a goal of zero emissions (this is ambitious, but achievable), rather than Net Zero. Net Zero has often led to the environment being exploited around the world, for example the mad dash for lithium to produce electric cars. I acknowledge this will take enormous political will, and we may need fossil fuels in the short term to enable this transition, but now is the time to be bold. Natural capital must be valued as an economic asset, rather than a vehicle for profit.

Fossil fuel companies must not be able to lobby politicians. 300 fossil fuel representatives were at COP28. This is a disgrace. The Yorkshire Party wants to establish a Devolved Yorkshire Parliament, which will not accept any donations from corporations. The Yorkshire Party wants to embrace biofuels, wind, solar creating jobs to reach a stage of Abundant Clean Energy. Easy, cheap changes such as insulation and heat pumps can reduce reliance on heating. This can also reduce our reliance on imported energy, which must be a top priority to protect us from future external economic shocks.

Public transport must be made more attractive to people. My personal ambition is to rebuild the trainline between Northallerton and Harrogate, via Thirsk. This would reduce reliance on cars in the area. I would like to look at making cities car free, and introducing bike lanes, and discouraging cars being on the road, like in Paris. These are exciting opportunities to create jobs.

I am passionate about local farming, and I would like to support local farmers by enabling them better avenues to sell directly to the consumer, rather than via supermarkets. I would like to introduce more farming into the education system. At the moment not enough children who were not raised in a farming family, go into farming. Alongside this, more education in farming can lead to more adults competent in growing foods in allotments, increasing self sufficiency, and allowing people to eat a little bit more in tune with nature.

The Yorkshire Party would like to ban water companies from paying dividends and executive bonuses, if they are in breach of pollution limits. I agree. The current state of our rivers are a disgrace. Can we imagine a county in which our children can swim in rivers.

This can all be made more achievable within the framework of a Devolved Yorkshire Parliament. This would give devolved taxation powers to Yorkshire politicians to make more efficient and targeted actions towards protecting the climate. A vote for the Yorkshire Party and myself will send a clear message that the status quo in Westminster will not be enough to tackle the key environmental challenges the county faces.