This Sunday (October 31) world leaders in politics, business, civil society etc, will meet in Glasgow for the start of the United Nations Climate Change conference – better known as COP26.

The aim of the summit is to bring parties together and “accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement (2015/16) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change”.

As I have said previously, tackling the climate emergency is the defining issue of our time - not just in Wales and across the UK, but for the whole planet.

COP26 is a huge opportunity for everyone to work together and commit to finding the solutions which will meet our global Net Zero targets and protect our planet’s long-term health.

Last week Jayne Bryant MS and I met virtually with geography and politics students from Coleg Gwent and they told us what they expect from those at the summit.

If we don’t take the bold actions required to protect our environment, we will be letting them down!

Both Jayne and I will be attending part of the conference in our roles as Senedd Committee Chairs – and we will be conveying the message we heard loud and clear from the students:

• The need for more affordable and accessible public transport.

• Action to support more sustainable food systems.

• For governments and businesses to invest in green jobs and skills.

Locally, on the banks of the Severn Estuary, we here in Newport and Severnside are vulnerable to the threats of climate change.

Areas such as our unique and historic Gwent Levels will be even more prone to flooding than it already is.

Last week I saw this for myself when I was taken on a walkabout of the area with Community Councillor John Crook, which the Mill Reen in Magor runs through.

I was shown what happens when these waterways are not well maintained by the organisations who have responsibilities for them. And if they continue to be neglected, we risk having more repeats of what we saw last Christmas when properties in Magor and the wider area were badly flooded.

Following my visit last week, my office has since written to Julie James, the Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, to express the fears of my constituents around future flooding if these organisations involved don’t start working together more.

Whether it is locally or nationally, we all have a responsibility to play in tackling climate change. It won’t be easy – but by taking the radical and bold action that is needed, we can make sure future generations still have a thriving environment and planet for many more years to come.