Alex Mayer: Why heatwaves are now more frequent – and what we can do about it

This week we saw the fourth major heatwave of the summer, with the mercury hitting a sweltering 33°C in Leighton Buzzard and surrounding areas.

I saw plenty of people enjoying the sunshine when I visited Rushmere Country Park for their summer insect trail but no-one can now deny our weather is becoming more extreme.

We’re in the midst of a climate emergency. Experts say climate change made the heatwaves this summer around 100 times more likely, and up to 4°C hotter. July marked the sixth month in a row with above-average UK temperatures, and the fifth in a row in the Met Office’s top ten warmest since records began in 1884.

To help tackle the climate emergency, in its first year, the Labour Government has prioritised renewable energy and committed to decarbonising the power sector by 2030. Key actions include approving previously blocked solar and wind farms and holding a record-breaking clean-power auction. The plan is to triple renewable energy production, backed by Great British Energy, our new publicly owned energy company.

Locally I was delighted to join AWGroup near our two wind turbines to see the first solar panels in a new array being installed.

When operational in October it will create 3 megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power 600 homes and charge 50,000 electric cars each year.

It’s absolutely right we harness the power of the sun, a source of clean British power that’s never going to run out. It’s fantastic to see this important local project come to life, making use of disused land. I’m pleased that thanks to new government rules I pushed for, more clean power projects can move forward, more quickly.

I’m especially supportive of how wildflowers planted around this solar array will help wildlife - including our bees - which are vital to pollinate crops. There are also opportunities for ground nesting birds, and it’s great to hear how sheep will be nibbling the grass between the panels, showing how farming and clean energy generation can coexist in harmony.

When I met the brilliant South Bedfordshire Friends of the Earth campaigners recently I saw how there is lots of appetite locally to take action on the climate. It’s never easy and there are often tough choices and trade offs to make. But together, we can tackle the climate emergency and power our future with clean, Bedfordshire energy.