STORMS across the world; flooding at home and abroad; unpredictable heat waves and droughts. The evidence is clear. Climate change is already happening and is affecting the way people live on our streets and across the world.

We need to change the way we live to adapt to these new times. If we all work together we have time - just - to turn things round, according to an independent report by the world expert, Sir Nicholas Stern.

A year ago, the Labour Government published a draft bill setting out ways in which we can come together as a nation and fight climate change. But before MPs debated it and voted on it, we wanted to work with the public to find out their views.

There was a massive response to the bill - 17,000 responses and some great ideas. This week, Labour MP Hilary Benn published the Government's response.

Mr Benn said: "We have made the legislation stronger; we have made it more transparent so people can see how well the Government is doing at reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and we have made the independent organisation monitoring this work more powerful.

"By 2050 we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent, and we will ask the new committee of climate change if that target should be stronger still. That's a tough target. But together we can move to a low-carbon economy."

The Government will raise its game, give the leadership needed and continue to build international consensus for action. We will make sure we get to these ambitious reductions by introducing statutory carbon budgets that will run over a five-year period and robust annual reporting to Parliament to make sure we do not fall behind. We will also create an independent authority that will work with the Government to deliver these targets.

But every Briton must play their part. Even little changes can make a big difference. Switching just three ordinary light bulbs with energy-saving replacements in every household would cut family bills and save enough power to run street lighting across the country. We are already working with lighting manufacturers and major retailers to phase out the use of high-energy light bulbs.

If we come together now, we can fight this battle for the future. It's not too much to say that our children and grandchildren are depending on us.