London(CNN) Lawmakers in the UK Parliament have declared "an environment and climate emergency," making it the first country in the world to do so, according to the opposition Labour Party.

The motion was called by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The move comes a week after 16-year-old Swedish student Greta Thunberg addressed UK lawmakers to demand more climate action, and in the wake of protests by climate action group Extinction Rebellion, who blocked major landmarks in London.

Speaking earlier in the week, after the motion was announced, Thunberg said: "It is a great first step because it sends a clear signal that we are in a crisis and that the ongoing climate and ecological crises must be our first priority.

"We cannot solve an emergency without treating it like an emergency."

Following the announcement of the decision to declare a climate emergency, she tweeted: "Historic and very hopeful news. Now other nations must follow. And words must turn into immediate action."

Extinction Rebellion said in a statement: "This is the first step in the government telling the truth about the climate and ecological emergency.

"Pressure on politicians will now increase as nothing but decisive action will suffice."

Earlier this week the Welsh and Scottish governments had both declared a climate emergency.

There's no clear definition of what declaring a "climate emergency" means, but several cities, including Bristol and London, have already declared their own.

Today's Labour motion also called on the government to set a target of reaching net zero emissions before 2050.

Tomorrow the Committee on Climate Change, which advises the UK government on its climate targets, will deliver its latest report.</s>MPs have approved a motion to declare an environment and climate emergency.

This proposal, which demonstrates the will of the House on the issue but does not legally compel the government to act, was approved without a vote.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who tabled the motion, said it was "a huge step forward".

Environment Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged there was a climate "emergency" but did not back Labour's demands to declare one.

The declaration of an emergency was one of the key demands put to the government by environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, in a series of protests over recent weeks.

Addressing climate protesters from the top of a fire engine in Parliament Square earlier, Mr Corbyn said: "This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe.

"We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to US President Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis."

Dozens of towns and cities across the UK have already declared "a climate emergency".

There is no single definition of what that means but many local areas say they want to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

Some councils have promised to introduce electric car hubs or build sustainable homes to try to achieve that goal.

It's a much more ambitious target than the UK government's, which is to reduce carbon emissions by 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050.

Labour's motion also the government to aim to achieve net-zero emissions before 2050 and for ministers to outline urgent proposals to restore the UK's natural environment and deliver a "zero waste economy" within the next six months.

The Welsh and Scottish governments have both already declared a climate emergency, along with dozens of towns and cities, including Manchester and London.</s>May 1 (UPI) -- Britain's Parliament declared a formal "environment and climate emergency" Wednesday, endorsing a motion by the country's Labor Party.

Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn called for the motion, passed without a vote, which called on the government to set a target of reaching net zero emissions before 2050 in addition to the emergency declaration.

"We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to [U.S. President] Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis," Corbyn said.

During the debate Corbyn warned net zero emissions couldn't be reached until the end of the century under current trends, adding this would leave "our grandchildren fighting for survival on a dying planet.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove responded by agreeing "that the situation we face is an emergency" and calling for a cross-party approach to allow Britain to take action on the climate.

Wednesday's declaration came a week after 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed lawmakers to encourage them to combat climate issues.

"It is a great first step because it sends a clear signal that we are in a crisis and that the ongoing climate and ecological crises must be our first priority," she said of the motion. "We cannot solve an emergency without treating it like an emergency."

"This is the first step in the government telling the truth about the climate and ecological emergency," Extinction Rebellion said after the declaration. "Pressure on politicians will now increase as nothing but decisive action will suffice."

Governments in Wales and Scotland as well as the cities of Bristol and London had previously declared their own climate emergencies.</s>Britain's parliament declared a symbolic climate change "emergency" on Wednesday, backing a call by opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for "rapid and dramatic action" to protect the environment for generations to come.

The measure was passed as an opposition motion, using a procedure typically ignored by the ruling party, and has no direct consequences for policy.

But it is a nod to an increasing vocal activist movement particularly among young people in Europe, who have staged school strikes and civil disobedience campaigns to demand action.

Eleven days of protests by the Extinction Rebellion activist group caused major disruptions in central London in recent weeks, and Swedish schoolgirl campaigner Greta Thunberg addressed lawmakers on a high profile visit.

Corbyn told lawmakers they should listen to those "who have the most to lose" from climate change, saying the younger generation is "ahead of the politicians on this, the most important issue of our time".

"We have no time to waste. We are living in a climate crisis that will spiral dangerously out of control unless we take rapid and dramatic action now," Corbyn told parliament.

"Today, we have the opportunity to say, 'We hear you' ... By becoming the first parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency, we could, and I hope we do, set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments all around the world."

Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who met activists this week, disappointed the campaigners by avoiding the word "emergency" and referring instead to the situation as "grave".

Extinction Rebellion welcomed Wednesday's motion in a tweet: "This has seen (lawmakers) start to #TellTheTruth about the climate & ecological crisis. They must now halt biodiversity loss, go net #ZeroCarbon2025 & create a #CitizensAssembly."

Separately, Thunberg tweeted: "Historic and very hopeful news. Now other nations must follow. And words must turn into immediate action."

Rebecca Newsom, head of Politics for Greenpeace UK, said in a statement that tackling climate change had long been delayed.

"The best time to declare a climate emergency was 30 years ago; the second best time is now."</s>The House of Commons voted to declare a climate change emergency in the UK on Wednesday, making world history as the first country to ever do so. The move is largely symbolic, and time will tell if actions back it up. Still, it shows how radically climate politics are being rewritten.

For decades, climate policy has been moving like a sloth through a pit of quicksand. Emissions have kept rising even as governments hand waved at solutions and implemented half measures. But a new wave of activism is forcing governments to reckon with their inaction.

In the UK, that’s taken the form of massive school strikes and more recently, wide-ranging protests by Extinction Rebellion. In the past month, the group has gotten naked in the House of Commons and shut down key roadways in London. It continued to amp up pressure on Wednesday with a protest outside Parliament. The group has three demands, the first being for the UK government to “tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency.” That’s something the UK Labour Party had done, but as the minority party, the declaration didn’t carry legal weight.

But the fate of Labour’s resolution turned as more political dominoes fell in place. Scotland and Wales—both parts of the UK—declared climate emergencies on Monday. And Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed members of Parliament last week, including environment secretary Michael Gove . After hearing her, Gove said “I felt great admiration, but also responsibility and guilt.”

All these moving parts came to head on Wednesday when the entire House of Commons voted to declare a climate emergency. The declaration itself is considered largely symbolic, and according to Reuters has “no direct consequences for policy.” But activists plan to keep pressing the issue to ensure real ambition follows.

“They are starting to tell the truth,” Liam Geary Baulch, a campaigner with Extinction Rebellion said in a WhatsApp group message. He said the group will continue to press the government to meet its other demands, which include getting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and creating a “Citizens’ Assembly” on climate to ensure any decisions are made in consultation with the people who will be impacted by them.

Labour is also in it for the long haul. Party leader Jeremy Corbyn address the Extinction Rebellion protesters on Wednesday. And in introducing the motion in Parliament, he laid out the stakes around climate change.

“We have no time to waste,” he said. “We are living in a climate crisis that will spiral dangerously out of control unless we take rapid and dramatic action now.</s>Jeremy Corbyn told protesters at Parliament Square the vote was just the start

MPs have voted to make the UK parliament the first in the world to declare an "environment and climate emergency".

Members backed a non-binding Labour motion in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a statement after the vote: "This can set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe.

"We pledge to work as closely as possible with countries that are serious about ending the climate catastrophe and make clear to US President Donald Trump that he cannot ignore international agreements and action on the climate crisis."

Later, addressing a climate change rally outside parliament, he acknowledged the vote "indicates we understand what the emergency is".

He called for a "green industrial revolution... a green new deal" with the benefits going "to everybody".

The motion succeeded after Theresa May decided not to whip her MPs against Labour's proposal.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged MPs face a climate "emergency" - although he stopped short of backing Labour demands to officially declare one.

Mr Gove warned the next generation will "face the consequences" if action is not taken now to deal with it, as he urged the Commons to unite to meet the threat before them.

He also insisted legislation due "shortly" will mark a "step change" in how the country tackles climate change and wider ecological degradation.

Mr Gove invoked the bipartisan spirit that helped Britain through the world wars of the 20th century, saying: "We've led in the past in defence of freedom, let's lead now in defence of our planet."

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said climate change should be treated like a war-time emergency.

"We need to be serious that a climate emergency isn't a matter of a few words and then we move on with business as usual. Business as usual is climate appeasement," she said.

Though symbolic, the vote recognises the urgency needed to combat the climate crisis and will be seen as a victory for protests launched by the Extinction Rebellion strikers in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, protesters glued themselves to trains in the capital and disrupted traffic in several locations.</s>Environment Minister Lesley Griffiths made the announcement ahead of a meeting with her UK and Scottish counterparts in Cardiff.

She said the nation will not allow Brexit to distract it from dealing with the challenge of climate change, which threatens health, economy, infrastructure and the natural environment on both a national and global scale.

She referred to “the magnitude and significance” of the latest evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and noted recent climate protests across the UK had drawn more attention than ever to the issue.

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths, said: “We hope that the declaration by Welsh Government today can help to trigger a wave of action at home and internationally. From our own communities, businesses and organisations to parliaments and governments around the world.

“Tackling climate change is not an issue which can be left to individuals or to the free market. It requires collective action and the government has a central role to making that collective action possible.” growth.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called for the UK Government to be put on a ‘war footing’ against climate change.</s>On Wednesday night a bipartisan UK Parliament passed an extraordinary measure: a national declaration of an Environment and Climate Emergency.

The UK is the first national government to declare such an emergency. The decision marks a renewed sense of urgency in tackling climate change, following a visit to Parliament by teenage activist Greta Thunberg , the broadcast of David Attenborough's documentary Climate Change: The Facts and 11 days of protest by environmental group Extinction Rebellion that paralysed parts of London.

There are now some 49 million people living under national, city and local declarations of a climate emergency around the world.

While there is no precise definition of what constitutes action to meet such an emergency, the move has been likened to putting the country on a "war footing", with climate and the environment at the very centre of all government policy, rather than being on the fringe of political decisions.

The UK are legally committed to a 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 (relative to their 1990 levels) and was recently recognised as one of just 18 developed economies that have driven down carbon dioxide emissions over the last decade.

Some city and local councils have set out their climate emergency policies to become carbon zero by 2030 built around renewable energy supplies, more energy-efficient housing and a host of other measures. Yesterday's decision in Parliament implies further national reductions and investment in this space.

The year 2030 is an important target. In spite of what climate contrarians might voice very loudly, five of our planet's warmest years on record have occurred since 2010, whilst 2018 experienced all manner of climate extremes that broke numerous global records.

It's sobering to realise that, because the oceans are a major sink of heat, the estimated 40-year delay in the release of this energy back into the atmosphere means the conditions of the last decade are in part a consequence of our pollution from the 1970s.

With the planet to experience further warming from the heat held by the oceans, there is increasing international focus on meeting the United Nation's Paris Agreement which was signed by 197 countries in 2016. This ground-breaking agreement has the ambitious global aim of preventing global temperatures from reaching 2˚C above pre-industrial levels (the late nineteenth century) by 2100, and ideally should be no more than 1.5˚C.

A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) has suggested that meeting this target means annual global carbon emissions must effectively halve between now and 2030, and then fall to zero by 2050. This is a target the UK opposition party Labour are now calling for.

More recent studies suggest even more ambitious cuts may be required.

Research in Australia has investigated the cost to the global economy if the Paris Agreement is not met and the world hits 4˚C warmer.

The values are eye-watering: an estimated US$23 trillion a year over the long-term. This has been likened to the world experiencing four to six global financial crises on the scale of 2008 every year.

In Australia, the cost would be on the order of A$159 billion a year, with most of the losses caused by drought-driven collapses in agricultural productivity and sea level rise. The expense to each Australian household has been put at the order of A$14,000.

The declaration of climate emergency by the UK comes at a crucial time in Australia, just two weeks out from a federal election. While the major parties have made public statements of support for the Paris Agreement, it remains unclear whether current and former leaders are fully aware of their obligations.

At a time when politicians discuss the need to "live within our means" when it comes to national finances, this does not appear to translate to the environment when we're considering future generations.

Instead we seem to be caught in a debate surrounding the costs of action rather than inaction. The next generation of Australian voters certainly don't seem confident about political commitments to their future as they hold their third national school strike tomorrow.

The welcome announcement from the UK is a major step in the right direction and potentially a watershed moment for a more sustainable global future. Is it too much to hope Australia could follow next?

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.</s>This is a developing story and will be updated.

The U.K. Parliament will vote Wednesday on a Labour Party motion to declare a climate emergency.

"We have no time to waste," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in prepared remarks. "We are living in a climate crisis that will spiral dangerously out of control unless we take rapid and dramatic action now."

"The truth is they are ahead of the politicians on this—the most important issue of our times," said Corbyn.

"By becoming the first parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency," he added, "we could set off a wave of action from parliaments and governments around the globe."

Watch the debate in the House of Commons currently underway:

A number of environmental groups, including UK Student Climate Network, Extinction Rebellion, and Friends of the Earth, are supporting a demonstration outside Parliament at 5pm.

"The first step to mitigating the worst impacts of climate change is making the government admit the scale and urgency of the situation," the groups said in a call-to-action. "This is our chance to make that happen."

In a tweet posted Tuesday, Corbyn gave a sense of urgency to his party's motion. "It's time to act," he said.</s>On Wednesday night a bipartisan UK Parliament passed an extraordinary measure: a national declaration of an environment and climate emergency.

Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters held up banners as they briefly blocked the road near the Bank of England, in the City of London recently. Extinction Rebellion created blockades at various locations in the British capital for 10 days. (Photo: AP)

London: The UK is the first national government to declare an environmental and climate emergency. The decision marks a renewed sense of urgency in tackling climate change, following a visit to Parliament by teenage activist Greta Thunberg , the broadcast of David Attenborough’s documentary ‘Climate Change: The Facts’ and 11 days of protest by environmental group Extinction Rebellion that paralysed parts of London.

There are now some 49 million people living under national, city and local declarations of a climate emergency around the world. While there is no precise definition of what constitutes action to meet such an emergency, the move has been likened to putting the country on a “war footing”, with climate and the environment at the very centre of all government policy, rather than being on the fringe of political decisions.

The UK are legally committed to a 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 (relative to their 1990 levels) and was recently recognised as one of just 18 developed economies that have driven down carbon dioxide emissions over the last decade.

Some city and local councils have set out their climate emergency policies to become carbon zero by 2030 built around renewable energy supplies, more energy-efficient housing and a host of other measures. Yesterday’s decision in Parliament implies further national reductions and investment in this space.

The year 2030 is an important target. In spite of what climate contrarians might voice very loudly, five of our planet’s warmest years on record have occurred since 2010, whilst 2018 experienced all manner of climate extremes that broke numerous global records.

It’s sobering to realise that, because the oceans are a major sink of heat, the estimated 40-year delay in the release of this energy back into the atmosphere means the conditions of the last decade are in part a consequence of our pollution from the 1970s.

With the planet to experience further warming from the heat held by the oceans, there is increasing international focus on meeting the United Nation’s Paris Agreement which was signed by 197 countries in 2016. This ground-breaking agreement has the ambitious global aim of preventing global temperatures from reaching 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels (the late nineteenth century) by 2100, and ideally should be no more than 1.5 degree Celsius.

A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) has suggested that meeting this target means annual global carbon emissions must effectively halve between now and 2030, and then fall to zero by 2050. This is a target the UK opposition party Labour are now calling for.

More recent studies suggest even more ambitious cuts may be required. Research in Australia has investigated the cost to the global economy if the Paris Agreement is not met and the world gets 4 degree Celsius warmer. The values are eye-watering: an estimated USD 23 trillion a year over the long-term.

This has been likened to the world experiencing four to six global financial crises on the scale of 2008 every year. The welcome announcement from the UK is a major step in the right direction and potentially a watershed moment for a more sustainable global future.

*The article was originally published by The Conversation Global Perspectives.
The UK Parliament declares "an environment and climate emergency."