Dr Ellie Chowns

MP for North Herefordshire

Dr Ellie Chowns

MP for North Herefordshire

Dr Ellie Chowns

MP for North Herefordshire

Green MPs write to PM urging him to “make polluters pay” ahead of COP30

Nov 5, 2025 | News

Dear Prime Minister, We are writing ahead of COP30 to urge that you use the UK’s influence to ensure an ambitious outcome consistent with avoiding the most catastrophic climate impacts. This year’s COP summit is taking place at a pivotal moment in history - just past the mid-point in what’s a critical decade for climate and nature action. The state of nature, biodiversity and ecosystems are deteriorating more rapidly than ever , 1 and global temperatures continue to climb at a terrifyingly dangerous rate. The combined 2 effect is devastating for the life support systems on which we all depend, and therefore also for our security, for our economic, social and political stability, and for everything from our food supplies to our health and wellbeing . 3 The UN Secretary General has called the fossil fuel companies the godfathers of climate chaos and the IPCC warn that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global 4 warming. Yet COP30 is taking place against a backdrop of continued financial support from 5 governments for the fossil fuel industry - including an estimated £17.5 billion every year here in the UK.6 At the same time, the poorest peoples of the world, with the least historic responsibility for climate emissions, continue to bear the brunt of climate breakdown. It is vital that the decisions made at COP30 do not further perpetuate climate injustice. And with this year marking the start of a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions, COP30 is critical to closing the 1.5°C delivery gap and other gaps – as the UN Secretary General said in his remarks of 27 October 2025:7 We need Nationally Determined Contributions that cut emissions much more deeply and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. At COP30 in Brazil, we must go further and faster to close the ambition gap. We need more ambition in adaptation, mitigation and climate financial justice. We warmly welcome your attendance at COP30 and hope your leadership will include advocating for:

The world’s poorest people aren’t the ones causing large-scale climate breakdown – so why are they expected to pay for it?

Ellie and her fellow Green MPs have written to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, ahead of COP30 urging him to Make Polluters Pay through a tax on the extraction of fossil fuels.

Dear Prime Minister, We are writing ahead of COP30 to urge that you use the UK’s influence to ensure an ambitious outcome consistent with avoiding the most catastrophic climate impacts. This year’s COP summit is taking place at a pivotal moment in history - just past the mid-point in what’s a critical decade for climate and nature action. The state of nature, biodiversity and ecosystems are deteriorating more rapidly than ever , 1 and global temperatures continue to climb at a terrifyingly dangerous rate. The combined 2 effect is devastating for the life support systems on which we all depend, and therefore also for our security, for our economic, social and political stability, and for everything from our food supplies to our health and wellbeing . 3 The UN Secretary General has called the fossil fuel companies the godfathers of climate chaos and the IPCC warn that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global 4 warming. Yet COP30 is taking place against a backdrop of continued financial support from 5 governments for the fossil fuel industry - including an estimated £17.5 billion every year here in the UK.6 At the same time, the poorest peoples of the world, with the least historic responsibility for climate emissions, continue to bear the brunt of climate breakdown. It is vital that the decisions made at COP30 do not further perpetuate climate injustice. And with this year marking the start of a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions, COP30 is critical to closing the 1.5°C delivery gap and other gaps – as the UN Secretary General said in his remarks of 27 October 2025:7 We need Nationally Determined Contributions that cut emissions much more deeply and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. At COP30 in Brazil, we must go further and faster to close the ambition gap. We need more ambition in adaptation, mitigation and climate financial justice. We warmly welcome your attendance at COP30 and hope your leadership will include advocating for:1. A Climate Damages Tax - a “polluters pay” tax on the extraction of fossil fuels in the world’s richest advanced economies.8 2. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty - a framework to manage the global transition to safe, renewable & affordable energy for all. 3. Climate Justice - a climate finance package made up primarily of public grants (not loans), accompanied by debt cancellation measures, and that enables countries in the Global South to reduce their emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change and meet the costs associated with loss and damage. 4. A global Just Transition - negotiators must stop blocking progress towards the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM). 5. An action plan to end forest destruction by 2030 - voluntary initiatives have failed to halt and reverse deforestation or to stop forest degradation, and substantive, structural change is needed to ensure existing forest commitments are met in an efficient, just and equitable way. The UK’s global leadership should also be matched with ambitious domestic action as evidence of leading by example. So we also call on you to back national measures that are aligned with the priorities of a successful COP30, and signal to the rest of the world that the UK is prepared to do its fair share in closing the gap between what the climate science demands and current emissions projections. Specifically, we urge you to: • End handouts to fossil fuel companies - use the forthcoming Budget to stop tax reliefs, investment allowances and subsidies, and to close loopholes in the ban on UK overseas finance supporting fossil fuels. • Play fair on climate finance - this must not come at the expense of overseas development aid, must be new government money, must not increase debt burdens, and must reflect the UK’s historic responsibilities. • Back the Energy Jobs Bill - to invest in British jobs and a just transition for workers 9 in the oil and gas sector. • Deliver climate justice at home - with policies that ensure the poorest in our communities do not bear the financial brunt of climate action. • Keep your promise on no new oil and gas - by rejecting Rosebank, Jackdaw, other new extraction proposals and all new use of tie-backs - and go even further by refusing development consent for oil and gas projects that have already been licensed. • Step up on climate adaptation - with a national climate resilience plan and a sixth Government mission on adaptation that reflects the CCC’s advice of 15 October 2025 .Whilst we recognise that the UK and the world are making significant strides towards a carbon free economy, this is still accompanied by plans to produce more than double the quantity of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with holding global temperature rises to 1.5C above preindustrial levels . 11 This collective failure is driving climate breakdown. COP 30 is an opportunity to change course - to choose transformative action that tackles injustice and inequality alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We trust you will recognise this decisive moment by ramping up your ambition still further, in order to help secure a liveable future for all. Yours sincerely, Ellie Chowns MP, Green Party, North Herefordshire Carla Denyer MP, Green Party, Bristol Central Siân Berry MP, Green Party, Brighton Pavilion Adrian Ramsay MP, Green Party, Waveney Valley

The full text of the letter reads:

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing ahead of COP30 to urge that you use the UK’s influence to ensure an ambitious outcome consistent with avoiding the most catastrophic climate impacts. This year’s COP summit is taking place at a pivotal moment in history – just past the mid-point in what’s a critical decade for climate and nature action.

The state of nature, biodiversity and ecosystems are deteriorating more rapidly than ever, and global temperatures continue to climb at a terrifyingly dangerous rate. The combined effect is devastating for the life support systems on which we all depend, and therefore also for our security, for our economic, social and political stability, and for everything from our food supplies to our health and wellbeing.

The UN Secretary General has called the fossil fuel companies the godfathers of climate chaos and the IPCC warn that emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. Yet COP30 is taking place against a backdrop of continued financial support from governments for the fossil fuel industry – including an estimated £17.5 billion every year here in the UK.

At the same time, the poorest peoples of the world, with the least historic responsibility for climate emissions, continue to bear the brunt of climate breakdown. It is vital that the decisions made at COP30 do not further perpetuate climate injustice.

And with this year marking the start of a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions, COP30 is critical to closing the 1.5°C delivery gap and other gaps – as the UN Secretary General said in his remarks of 27 October 2025:

We need Nationally Determined Contributions that cut emissions much more deeply and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. At COP30 in Brazil, we must go further and faster to close the ambition gap. We need more ambition in adaptation, mitigation and climate financial justice.

We warmly welcome your attendance at COP30 and hope your leadership will include advocating for:

  1. A Climate Damages Tax – a “polluters pay” tax on the extraction of fossil fuels in the world’s richest advanced economies.
  2. The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty – a framework to manage the global transition to safe, renewable & affordable energy for all.
  3. Climate Justice – a climate finance package made up primarily of public grants (not loans), accompanied by debt cancellation measures, and that enables countries in the Global South to reduce their emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change and meet the costs associated with loss and damage.
  4. A global Just Transition – negotiators must stop blocking progress towards the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM).
  5. An action plan to end forest destruction by 2030 – voluntary initiatives have failed to halt and reverse deforestation or to stop forest degradation, and substantive, structural change is needed to ensure existing forest commitments are met in an efficient, just and equitable way.

The UK’s global leadership should also be matched with ambitious domestic action as evidence of leading by example. So we also call on you to back national measures that are aligned with the priorities of a successful COP30, and signal to the rest of the world that the UK is prepared to do its fair share in closing the gap between what the climate science demands and current emissions projections. Specifically, we urge you to:

  • End handouts to fossil fuel companies – use the forthcoming Budget to stop tax reliefs, investment allowances and subsidies, and to close loopholes in the ban on UK overseas finance supporting fossil fuels.
  • Play fair on climate finance – this must not come at the expense of overseas development aid, must be new government money, must not increase debt burdens, and must reflect the UK’s historic responsibilities.
  • Back the Energy Jobs Bill – to invest in British jobs and a just transition for workers in the oil and gas sector.
  • Deliver climate justice at home – with policies that ensure the poorest in our communities do not bear the financial brunt of climate action.
  • Keep your promise on no new oil and gas – by rejecting Rosebank, Jackdaw, other new extraction proposals and all new use of tie-backs – and go even further by refusing development consent for oil and gas projects that have already been licensed.
  • Step up on climate adaptation – with a national climate resilience plan and a sixth Government mission on adaptation that reflects the CCC’s advice of 15 October 2025.

Whilst we recognise that the UK and the world are making significant strides towards a carbon free economy, this is still accompanied by plans to produce more than double the quantity of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with holding global temperature rises to 1.5C above preindustrial levels. This collective failure is driving climate breakdown.

COP 30 is an opportunity to change course – to choose transformative action that tackles injustice and inequality alongside reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We trust you will recognise this decisive moment by ramping up your ambition still further, in order to help secure a liveable future for all.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Ellie Chowns MP, Green Party, North Herefordshire
Carla Denyer MP, Green Party, Bristol Central
Siân Berry MP, Green Party, Brighton Pavilion
Adrian Ramsay MP, Green Party, Waveney Valley