Environment Secretary George Eustice's office covered in protest posters

The office of Environment Secretary George Eustice MP in Camborne has been plastered in posters, as well as 'climate crime scene' tape.

Extinction Rebellion said the action was part of a wave of protests nationwide to draw attention to the release of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) annual report, which, it said, "highlights that the government's actions fall far short of meeting their own legally-binding target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050".

Local members of Extinction Rebellion used the shop front of Mr Eustice’s Camborne and Redruth constituency office to display posters, which protestors said highlighted "his appalling voting record on environmental matters in the House of Commons".

Asked for a response to the claims by the Packet, Mr Eustice defended his record and said that "this government will make climate change at the heart of our economic recovery".

An Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said: "Many of his constituents are concerned that their MP, now Environment Secretary, has consistently voted against moves to protect the environment. Gloves were worn and social distance guidelines maintained by Rebels during this action."

George Eustice

Extinction Rebellion said the posters highlighted how Mr Eustice voted against curbing transport emissions by 2030, against a green economy aimed at benefitting the wider population, against cutting the carbon footprint of new homes and voted for HS2.

The spokesperson added: "Members of Extinction Rebellion are highlighting that at this critical moment, when we have just a few years left to mitigate against catastrophic climate change, the MP with responsibility for protecting the environment is doing the complete opposite.

"This action was part of a wave of protests across the country on June 25 to mark the release of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) annual report, which again lambasts the government's criminally poor performance.

"The 2050 target, is already woefully inadequate. New calculations by academics from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research find that to achieve a two in three chance of stabilising warming below the internationally agreed limit of 2c of warming then the total amount of carbon we can emit in the UK is only half that currently budgeted in government policy.

"If we wanted to honour our commitment to hold temperatures to 1.5c, then the amount we can emit is even smaller still. The science is clear. We must phase out carbon emissions much sooner than 2050 if the UK is to do its fair share."

Mr Eustice told the Packet: "As Environment Secretary I have introduced a new Environment Bill to support the recovery of nature, an Agriculture Bill that will help tackle climate change and create habitats for wildlife and I have made tackling climate change one of the objectives in our Fisheries Bill.

"The report of the Climate Change Committee, which was published today at an event I attended, made clear that the UK has made significant progress over the last decade and is the best performing G20 country.

"There is always more to be done and as we emerge from coronavirus this government will make climate change at the heart of our economic recovery."