LAST week, the UN’s high-level panel on climate change published a report which shows that we’re not doing anywhere near enough to cut our addiction to fossil fuels.

The bad news from the UN is that we’re already seeing our climate change and we’re heading for potential disaster if we don’t act now. The effects of climate change range from increased natural disasters, to droughts and sea levels rising.

For those of us living in this part of the UK, we’re going to be increasingly threatened by illness in hot summer months and having our homes flooded in the winter. Our kids and grandkids are likely to be paying the price if we fail to take this threat seriously.

The good news is that the UN’s report makes it clear that we can still avoid the worst effects of climate change. To do this, we need to cut out fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas — and do it quickly.

It’s time to embrace technology that reduces carbon emissions, and cleans up our environment. Fighting climate change is the biggest challenge facing our generation but the benefits of making the changes needed will cost us very little compared to the price of inaction.

Battling climate change will make this part of Britain, and indeed the rest of the world, a safer place for our families to live for generations to come.

But action on climate change won’t happen by itself. As a Green, I’ll always put acting on climate change at the heart of what I do. But we need politicians across all parties to start taking responsibility and radical action on climate change.

Keith Taylor, Green Party MEP for South East England