David Lammy calls for climate justice in Kew Lecture

David Lammy gave his first major speech as Foreign Secretary on 17th September in Kew Gardens. His speech was intersectional, covering global inequality, indigenous knowledge, and racial justice all as part of – and essential to – climate justice.

Lammy explained the core idea of his approach that “nothing could be more central to the UK’s national interest than delivering global progress on arresting rising temperatures.” He later told Outrage + Optimism that “I’m outraged morally that, it’s still the case that global majority countries, global South countries, are feeling very left behind.”

Lammy also announced he would be appointing Special Representatives for Climate Change and for Nature, who will support him and Ed Miliband. The Special Representative for Climate Change will be Rachel Kyte, Professor of Practice in Climate Policy at Oxford.