THE Government needs to listen to the people and invest in renewable energy to ensure the country has a “secure future environmentally”, according to Chris Packham.

The campaigner and TV presenter told GB News: “What I want to happen is for MPs, our elected representatives, and ministers to come out of that building and listen to these people, because the message is very clear.

“We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground if we are going to get through this period of climate breakdown. That’s the first thing that we can do. And at the moment, we’ve got a government which isn’t listening.

“It’s already said that it’s going to open another coal mine and also let 100 new licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. That’s not a healthy way forward for you, for me, for wildlife and for the planet.”

He continued: “A recent poll shows us that, second to the cost of living crisis, the thing that’s worrying the British public most of all is climate breakdown.

“So it’s high on the political agenda, and therefore it needs to be dealt with properly. And when this government says that it’s going to offer us energy security by further exploitation of North Sea oil and gas, it’s lying, that’s not true.

“For instance, if it were to grant a drilling licence for Rosebank, that Rosebank oilfield is owned by the Norwegian government, they would own that oil, not the UK, we would make some tax revenue from it.

“And ultimately, if we invest in new oil and gas that is not already being pumped at the moment, it could take 20 to 30 years before that comes online, and in 20 to 30 years time, we’re not going to be using oil and gas.

“What this government needs to see is that it needs to make a rapid transition of investment into renewable energies and that means re-training, investing in those communities that are currently engaged in the oil and gas industries to make sure that they have a secure future economically, and we all have a secure future environmentally.”