POLITICAL couple Neil and Laurence Carmichael will be crossing the globe in the new year to speak at a major international symposium on sustainability.

The conference at the University of Madras in Chennai, India is being held to share information on environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The environmentally-conscious conservatives have each been asked to give lectures because of their experience in these fields.

Mr Carmichael, who will speak on the impact of the 1956 Clean Air Act, is a member of David Cameron's recently created quality of life commission.

He will also stand as the Tory party candidate for Stroud in the next general election.

"It was abundantly clear the legislation was necessary as people were dying," said Mr Carmichael, who believes all tiers of local, national and international government need to work together in the urgent battle against climate change.

"The Clean Air Act was dramatic as it stopped people burning coal to heat their homes.

"The threat to the environment now is wider, greater and deeper in every sense.

"We must take decisive action and start looking at alternatives.

"I'll be looking back 50 years at that powerful piece of legislation, about how and why it was passed, drawing lessons from it and saying what will need to be done now to protect the environment."

Meanwhile, Mrs Carmichael, Stroud District Council's recently appointed cabinet member for community cohesion, will talk about the impact of environmental projects on rural areas - the focus of a project undertaken in her capacity as a research fellow at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

"Such projects can be a really positive thing for the regeneration of urban areas," said Mrs Carmichael, who is working on a project to raise awareness and increase the accessibility of the wild canalside area, Ebley Meadows.

The couple justified their decision to fly to the conference.

"Protecting the world is a major issue but you have got to get around the world to do it," said Mr Carmichael.

"We have to find ways to make sure air travel is much more friendly to the environment."