Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds North West, has pledged to fight for the environment in the wake of a global awareness-raising event.

On Saturday, the charity World Wildlife Fund held its annual Earth Hour, to get people to think about the planet.

Iconic UK landmarks, including the London Eye, Liverpool’s Liver Building, and Buckingham Palace, turned off their lights in a show of solidarity.

Mr Sobel took part in the action as part of the Parliamentary support for it in London.

He said: "This week I joined WWF’s Earth Hour in Parliament to discuss the actions we need to see to help bring the UK – and the world – back to life."

But, he said, its impact has gone far beyond just turning off lights for one hour. Earth Hour is a time to switch off from distractions and focus on doing something – anything – positive for our planet. And conservation needs to be an ongoing priority.

Mr Sobel added: "Here in the UK, we are already one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet.

"We are the most nature-depleted country in the G7 and the G20. A further quarter of UK mammals are now at risk of extinction. From puffins to bluebells, bumblebees and mountain hares, UK wildlife is feeling the heat and struggling to adapt.

"Globally, a broken food system is driving ill health, poorly rewarding farmers, and is responsible for one third of greenhouse gas emissions - and most of the biodiversity loss and land degradation."

He said that if you imagined that London was a country, the emissions from the City of London alone would be the ninth largest emitter in the world.

Mr Sobel added: "WWF is calling on politicians like myself, to show their commitment to tackling what they’re calling the ‘triple challenge’ - ensuring how we use our land and seas supports our climate, nature, and food security.

"We are in the fight of our lives to fix our broken food and finance systems for people and the planet - a race to bring our world back to life.

"If action is taken, by the end of this decade, greenhouse gas emissions could be halved, nature and wildlife could be recovering all around us, and habitats could be beginning to thrive again.

"The simple act of turning off the lights can influence positive changes through collective, global action whilst giving hope for the future."