Green Hero - Charlotte Cane
PPC for Ely and East Cambs
"As a teenager I wanted to end apartheid and protect the environment. I’m still campaigning for equality and fairness, while deaths from floods, droughts and heatwaves show why we must tackle climate change."
Community Champion
Charlotte Cane won her seat on East Cambridgeshire District Council in 2015 and has retained it since. An almost 10-year commitment to East Cambridgeshire in her council roles, she is ready to be their committed MP. She is currently the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group who have 13 councillors (as opposed to the Conservative 15).
Charlotte has been dedicated to social justice and humanitarian campaigning since her childhood, advocating against the Apartheid regime and for environmental issues.
Environmentalism is not her only priority, though. Charlotte knows the NHS is in serious crisis and needs to be rebuilt and we must recruit more GPs, dentists and nurses. Waiting times need to be reduced and hospitals should be able to provide prompt care. She also wants to make it far easier for healthcare to take place in the home.
End Sewage Dumping
One of Charlotte's major focuses has been on the issue of water pollution in the Ely & East Cambridgeshire constituency. This area is covered by Anglian Water and has had sewage discharged into it 31,623 times last year. The new figures released this year show a 97% rise in comparison to 2022. The Liberal Democrats are putting an end to sewage dumping. The Conservatives have continuously voted against stricter regulations on water companies which would help to tackle the crisis and ban bonuses for water company executives, this includes the local Tory MPs who cover the new Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Charlotte promises that if elected, she will join her Lib Dem colleagues in calling for stringent action against sewage dumping in Parliament, as well as continuing to call for an end at home.
Reach Community Solar Farm
One of Charlotte's great green achievements is helping with the installation of Reach Solar Farm, a community energy project which is able to generate the electricity needs equivalent to about half of the village.
It has given grants to local good causes including to help the local primary school instal energy efficient hand driers in the toilets and the local village hall install energy efficient lighting.
They raised over £300,000 from the local community in order to build it. Many community energy projects are wholly or for the most-part owned by the community, allowing them full democratic autonomy over their energy generation, provision, storage - which can help to lift people out of fuel poverty and control spiralling energy bills as well as providing clean energy to communities and empowering them by allowing the benefits to be fed back into the community.
It has been operational since 2016 and is expected to conitnue running for over 20 years. The Reach Solar Community Farm functions as a Community Benefit Society which means that they run with the sole purpose of the betterment of the community and ensuring a good return to investors. Some of the income generated by the farm is donated to a Community Benefit Fund is donated to other environmental projects.
Helping to install vital community betterment projects like this and providing clean renewable energy is what makes Charlotte Cane a true Green Hero. The Green Lib Dems want to see Community Energy projects such as this be implemented nationwide (and globally!) and a vote for Green Lib Dem candidates is a vote for clean, community energy.
Local Transport
Plans for the City of Ely council to implement 20mph zones for the health and safety of residents. The zones will improve air quality and make it safer for those who choose to walk and cycle, and hopefully encourage more people to do so. Furthermore, her and her Cambridgeshire colleagues have been fighting to save vital bus routes which improve quality of life for all and encourage the usage of public transportation.
Making Change Happen
Charlotte Cane is a key member of the Liberal Democrats team which can, together, make environmental change happen in Parliament, so we'll be doing all we can to help get her elected. Will you join us?
For more Green Heroes go to the Green Heroes front page here >>> https://greenlibdems.org.uk/en/page/green-heroes