How To Write To Your MP About Climate Change

Concerned about the climate crisis and want to take tangible action? Here’s how to write to your local MP about climate change, with a template you can copy and paste and amend. There are even details on how to find who your local MP is.

Taking political action on climate change is one of the most impactful and zero-cost things we can do as citizens. Whether it’s showing our opposition to new oil field developments, showing support for new home insulation schemes, supporting increased walking and cycling provision, or any myriad of climate actions, getting that message across to politicians is key.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to do that is to write to your local MP. Admittedly, doing so can feel a bit like whistling into the wind, but it is easy to forget that elected officials do work for us. They are there to represent the views of their constituents in parliament.

Writing to your MP about climate change lets them know that their constituents are concerned about climate issues and helps hold them to account.

Table Of Contents

• The Key Points To Bear In Mind
• Template To Write To Your MP About Climate Change
• How Do I Know Who My Local MP Is?
• What Next?

The Key Points To Bear In Mind

There are a few key points to bear in mind when writing to your local MP about climate change.

Firstly when you write, it’s important to establish your credentials as a local. You must include your name and address, otherwise, your MP will have no obligation to respond to you.

Secondly, your MP has been elected to serve your local area. The impacts of climate change are truly global issues. This is undeniable. However, when you write to your MP about climate change, it is essential to keep it relevant to your local area. MPs will only act on issues facing their local constituency.

Thirdly, keep your correspondence friendly, respectful and constructive. Your local MP may not belong to a party that aligns with your values. They may have voted or campaigned for something you are in complete disagreement with. However, it’s important to be civil. Your MP is more likely to respond to your letter if the tone is non-confrontational.

If your MP has shown any support for climate change or any positive local initiative in the past, mention this when you write to them. We all respond better to compliments. Complimenting them can make a difference in how they take on board your comments.

Template To Write To Your MP About Climate Change

Copy and paste the text below into an email to your MP. Don’t forget to personalise the bits in bold.

Dear [Name of your MP],

I am writing to you as a constituent of [your constituency] because I am concerned about the climate emergency.

I’ve already seen the impacts of climate change in our local area, from the extreme temperatures of last summer’s heatwave to [insert any other recent changes you have seen in your local area – such as flooding, wildfires, or droughts] we’ve experienced in [insert name of constituency area]. Climate scientists agree that the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, droughts and other extreme weather events such as flooding, is going to get worse – particularly as we delay real climate action.

At COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021, it was agreed by 200 nations, including the UK, to secure global net zero by the middle of this century and to keep a maximum of 1.5°C degrees of warming within reach. It’s imperative to put in place policies that will get us on track to our net zero targets. However, the window to keep within 1.5°C degrees of warming is getting smaller. In February 2024, it was reported that global warming has exceeded 1.5C across an entire year.

With a combined cost-of-living crisis affecting our constituency, plunging many of us into fuel poverty, several policies can be put in place right now to slash our emissions and get us on track to deliver net zero, all whilst easing the financial burden on householders.

On behalf of everyone in [insert your constituency here], will you champion policies that ensure:

• We are investing in a secure energy future that the British public wants – that’s both better for our climate and our household bills. Recent figures show that 89% of the public support solar power whilst 79% support onshore wind.
• Our homes are warmer and cheaper to run – with increased grant funding for home insulation schemes and green energy installation.
• Our transport is fit for the future, accessible to all, and better for our health and the environment.
• We restore our country’s natural landscape, planting native trees that improve air quality, support increased biodiversity, and reduces flood risk, all whilst sucking carbon from the air.
• [feel free to amend this section if you have any other issues, ideas, or local points to raise]

I look forward to hearing from you, 

Yours sincerely,

[your name]

On behalf of [insert local organisation(s) if relevant]

[Postcode]

How Do I Know Who My Local MP Is?

If you don’t know who your local MP is, then don’t worry. Simply enter your postcode on the Write To Them website, and it will tell you of all of your local elected members, plus their contact details.

What Next?

You may or may not receive a response. My local MP barely ever replies when I write to them about climate change. Sometimes you will get a response. However, this can often be in the form of a copy-and-paste response outlining what their party is doing about climate change. This may not answer any questions you put forward in your initial letter.

Don’t be put off by this. It is standard practice for a first letter. MPs receive tons of emails and letters from their constituents every day. I would reply to this, praising the relevant points they’ve made – even if you disagree with what they’ve said, or if it’s not nearly enough.

When any key environmental/climate change matters are due for debate in parliament, then is a good time for you to get back in touch with your MP. You can highlight that in their letter to you, they talked about their commitment to tackling climate change and that you hope that their voting intentions align with those commitments.