This week saw the return of the annual global climate summit: COP28.

For almost 30 years these summits have largely ignored the burning issue of fossil fuel use, instead focusing on narrower issues and only parts of the industry.

But at this year’s summit all fossil fuel use was finally on the agenda: but did it go far enough?

Even when Britain hosted COP26 two years ago, the focus was limited to just the worst coal use and fossil fuel 'subsidies'.

So, some world leaders hailed this year’s summit as ‘historic’ because it finally broadened the scope to cover the use of coal, oil and gas.

But wording is all important in these international agreements.

In the end, the strong language to “phase out” use of fossil fuels was drastically watered down to merely a “transition away” from fossil fuel use. Climate experts called it “a tragedy for the planet and our future”.

For Britain’s part, the Prime Minister was accused of showing his priorities when he spent more time jetting to and from the conference than he spent at the conference.

Often, our government and the fossil fuel giants tell the public that ditching coal, oil and gas means higher bills and maybe higher taxes.

This argument can be persuasive when wages have been stagnant for a decade and there’s a cost-of-living crisis.

But the truth is we subsidise fossil fuels more than we subsidise renewable energy.

Earlier this year, my Lib Dem colleagues unearthed data that showed the UK had paid £20bn more in fossil fuel subsidies than renewable subsidies since 2015.

The UK must focus instead on subsidising and promoting renewable energy, heat pump technology and home insulation: these are the best ways to help save the planet and bring direct savings on energy bills.

I hear from people across St Albans about how desperately worried they are about their sky-high energy bills and about the state of the world’s climate.

Young voters in particular are extremely concerned about the world they will inherit.

I will continue to campaign strongly for effective action to both lower energy bills and combat the climate emergency.