The Paris talks this week have brought together more than 190 countries from across the globe to discuss the urgent need to tackle climate change. But closer to home it has also served to unite the increasingly fractured left wing sphere of UK politics.
The Labour party might be divided over Syria but it is clear on climate: more needs to be done to decarbonise and the Tories are falling short. On this, even the SNP can agree.
Horns might be locked north of the border after the nationalist deluge washed swathes of Labour MPs from parliament earlier this year, but this week Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon stood shoulder to shoulder in calling for more decarbonisation ambition from government.
Well, shoulder to shoulder in terms of national media coverage at least.
During Corbyn’s one-day visit to the talks he told reporters the UK’s rhetoric on sustainability must be backed up with action, and suggested a 100 per cent renewables target by 2050.
Since the election it’s been bad news for the renewables industry, and for the Scottish economy which plays host to much of the UK’s wind power.
Sturgeon’s focus is firmly on chancellor George Osborne, saying she hopes the prime minister and energy secretary can be more persuasive where the Treasury is concerned.
A united opposition is the best place to start. When it comes to climate change at least, both parties might find that “my enemy’s enemy” is a friend after all.