COP26

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The MP asked about the impact on developing countries if developed nations do not meet their £100 billion per year commitment to climate finance by 2023, and inquired whether the Chancellor will present a supplementary Budget to address this shortfall.

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The MP questioned the adequacy of COP26 outcomes in meeting necessary emission reductions, citing commitments as inadequate compared to required levels. He urged for more effective action to be taken.

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The MP enquired about the implications for Wales if Scotland decides to proceed with Cambo oil field development, and questioned whether this would hinder the UK's climate goals.

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The MP inquired about the status of UK's pledge to deliver £100 billion in climate finance by 2023 and requested transparency on how these funds are being utilised.

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The MP raised concerns about potential conflicts between climate commitments and economic interests, specifically mentioning support for controversial energy projects like Cambo.

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I join the Prime Minister in extending our thoughts across the House to the people of Liverpool who are in shock at yesterday’s events, and pay tribute to the response of the emergency services... The Budget was delivered in the week before COP26 as world leaders began to arrive on these shores, but it did not even mention climate change. It gave a tax break for domestic flights and fell woefully short of the investment needed to deliver green jobs and a fair transition.

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I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. May I first echo the remarks made by my right hon. Friend about the appalling attack in Liverpool? The thoughts of everybody in the House are with the people of Liverpool... With the COP presidency, the UK has a critical role over the next year in ensuring that the commitments made are delivered on and in bringing the intransigent countries—notably, China, Russia and India—back round the table to raise their sights on what they are willing to achieve. Will he agree with that and set out what the Government’s immediate plans are for that work?

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Expressed support for COP26 President's efforts in Glasgow, but criticised the UK Government's leadership. Highlighted Scotland's role in climate justice by pledging funds for loss and damage to help vulnerable countries, urging the Prime Minister to reverse cuts to international aid. Asked about updating NDC commitments, investing £71 million into tidal stream energy contracts for difference process, and backing carbon capture and storage projects like Acorn.

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Congratulated UK leadership at COP26, emphasising the importance of scientific progress and innovation to secure climate ambitions. Asked about opportunities to advance these goals over the coming year.

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Expressed disappointment at the Glasgow agreement falling short of expectations, urged the Prime Minister to show leadership by cleaning up City of London's fossil fuel investments.

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Asked the Prime Minister to redouble efforts using remaining UK presidency to share excess vaccine doses with developing countries, citing safety and internationalism benefits.

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Asked the Prime Minister to review cases of potential terrorists, especially in light of Liverpool attack. Also asked for a strategy on bringing countries currently outside climate agreement into it.

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Asked about addressing international shortage of critical minerals needed for semiconductors, which is crucial for meeting 2035 targets. Inquired about growing UK's silicon valleys to reduce reliance on China and Taiwan.

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Paid tribute to COP26 President Alok Sharma, asked about imposing a climate filter on tax super deduction for clean projects like Cambo oilfield. Also inquired if UK will use IMF special drawing rights windfall to scale up climate finance.

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One of the most significant diplomatic achievements of COP26 was getting 130 countries to agree to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. However, previous commitments like the New York declaration in 2014 failed due to lack of enforcement mechanisms. How will this time be different?

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The steel industry needs support to decarbonise, but the Budget did little. What practical steps will the Government take to help the industry?

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What reassurance can the Prime Minister give that agreements made at COP26 will bring brilliant jobs to South Leicestershire as part of the green deal economy?

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What will the Prime Minister do to bring China, Russia, Australia and others on board to phase out coal production? Will there be no British financing for new fossil fuel industries?

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What confidence can we have that multilateral agreements are being observed by closed societies?

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Will the Prime Minister request an urgent audit by the Office for Budget Responsibility of all domestic fossil fuel subsidies with a view to phasing them out as soon as possible?

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Are world leaders getting ahead of public opinion? People in Gainsborough South West ward are worried about their heating bills now, and manufacturers worry about competitiveness with China as more regulations are imposed. Do we represent them?

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Does the Prime Minister agree that we need all-party support to involve every community, town and city in a campaign to keep 1.5° alive?

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Does the landmark agreement to support South Africa’s just transition show that even economies heavily dependent on coal can seize a bright and sustainable future?

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Critiques the government's plan for decarbonising home heating as insufficient, questioning why it is far short of what is required.

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Congratulates the Prime Minister on achievements at COP26, highlighting the importance of sustainable farming.

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Asks for a commitment from the Prime Minister to match Scotland's £500 million just transition fund, ensuring workers are not left behind.

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Congratulates the Prime Minister on leadership at COP26 and suggests investment in rail schemes as part of this transition.

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Critiques lack of delivery on the BioYorkshire project and asks for action to support a green new deal.

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Asks how to ensure continued meaningful involvement of business in COP discussions.

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Suggests reopening the UK-Australia trade deal to demonstrate leadership on climate commitments.

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Requests faster regulatory changes to streamline offshore energy transmission networks.

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Asks what support will be provided for aviation industry in decarbonising flights without financial burden.

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Compliments the Prime Minister's work on COP26, asking about commitment to continue pressure on coal-dependent nations.

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Critiques lack of progress in defunding polluters, asking for clear actions on GFANZ initiative.

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Asks how the UK will ensure that progress reports hold countries accountable for climate change commitments.

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Calls for urgent climate justice reparations, asking if fossil fuel developments will be ruled out.

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Asks for details on how the UK will ensure climate finance reaches developing countries.

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The Prime Minister has dodged the issue of turning the City of London into the capital of green investment. The UK represents 1% of global emissions, but the City of London’s corporations and financial institutions represent 15% of global emissions. Where is his plan to ensure they commit to 1.5° and zero emissions?

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Will the Prime Minister join me in thanking the COP26 President’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Katherine Fletcher)? There could have been no better Back-Bench champion to gently corral and encourage us all to fight for the environmental issues she holds so dear. Will the Prime Minister give further information on the £210 million for small nuclear technology? If we had left it to the Opposition, we would have no nuclear technology or nuclear capacity to speak of.

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The UK’s leadership of COP26 was undermined by climate hypocrisy at home, but we still have the COP presidency and a change of policy now could still influence others. In that spirit, will the Government stop drilling in the Cambo oilfield, scrap plans for a new coalmine in Cumbria and cancel the tax cuts on domestic flights—yes or no?

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As my right hon. Friend is aware, northern Lincolnshire and the Humber are major centres of our renewable energy sector and can play a major part in spearheading our achievement of the COP26 targets. Will he reaffirm the Government’s support for developing the industry, not just in northern Lincolnshire but elsewhere, which would have the added benefit of levelling up many of our industrial areas?

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I noticed that the Prime Minister mentioned Aristotle in his statement, so could he explain how breaking his own manifesto promise to the poorest people in the world, those worst affected by climate change, could possibly be consistent with the actions of the virtuous person?

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I congratulate the Prime Minister and the COP President on the incredible achievements at the COP summit. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is science, technology, research and development that will get us through this mess, but that that is going to need a huge workforce skilled in STEM? Could he update the House on the work the Government are doing not only to improve and enhance careers and training in STEM, but to break down barriers for women and people from marginalised backgrounds to taking on those careers?

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We know that the COP26 agreement is the bare minimum in terms of what needs to be done to tackle the climate emergency already claiming lives around the world. Last week, Wales joined as a core member of the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance. At the same time, news came that the Conservative party, under this Prime Minister, has pocketed £1.5 million in donations from oil and gas interests. He can redeem his reputation by joining Wales, France, Denmark and others as a core member of the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance—will he?

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I pay tribute to the COP President for his work. Will the Prime Minister now indicate how he is going to put pressure on the major coal producers and importers, and indeed how he will use UK trade policy to achieve that?

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I am sorry to cast a shadow on the mutual backslapping here today, but there has been widespread concern that the Prime Minister simply lacked the leadership we needed to see, given that he had the presidency of COP26 and the G7 chair. Does he not recognise that we are a country that now routinely threatens to renege on its international commitments and that has cut international aid—what it is putting back does not make up for the cut and we are one of the only G7 countries to do that? Does he not recognise that he simply lacks the credibility and trust that we currently need to lead on this issue and that he needs to sort that out?

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I was pleased to attend a part of COP26 as a member of the Environmental Audit Committee. It was a particular privilege to meet members of the Ugandan delegation who took part in an event that we hosted. I have to say that the Prime Minister’s statement is completely tone deaf in the face of the frustration and desperation of countries of the global south at the failure of this COP to deliver on the 12-year-old promise of $100 billion a year for climate finance. Will he accept that his decision to persist with indefensible cuts to UK aid effectively tied the hands of his own negotiating committee on this vital issue?

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Bristol was the first local authority in the country to declare a climate and ecological emergency. We have set out a city-wide strategy to make Bristol carbon neutral, climate resilient and wildlife rich by 2030—the nuts and bolts, if you like—but Bristol and other cities need investment, and the Government’s funding model currently makes us compete with other cities. The UK Government cannot reach their targets using that funding model, so will they look at it again and help us with the private investment that we need to make a massive contribution to the Government’s own national targets?

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The Department of Energy and Climate Change, which was under Lib Dem leadership until 2015, was a huge driver towards decarbonisation across the board. There are now renewed calls to bring back such a Department, but there seem to be sources in the Treasury who are against such a move, saying that it would become “the biggest begging bowl in Whitehall outside the NHS”. Does the Prime Minister agree that we should bring back the Department of Energy and Climate Change, or does he agree with the Treasury?

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The Government say they are now following the science—they said it during covid and they are saying it on climate—but over the weekend they managed to alienate the entire scientific community of this nation with leaks to the press saying that the UK is about to be wrenched out of three different multibillion-pound international research and infrastructure projects that tackle exactly those two things, because they are backed by the EU scientific budget. Will the Prime Minister confirm that we need a joined-up approach on these things and that it is not about settling old scores? Can he tell us that those reports are truly media tittle-tattle?

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At COP26, the Prime Minister said we were at one minute to midnight; I am afraid his clock might be a bit slow. The action that has been set out is not enough. Aristotle asked whether hope is a waking dream; I would really like to hear from the Prime Minister that he is going to stop Cambo and halt the Cumbria coalmine.

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The review commissioned by the Treasury and carried out by Professor Dasgupta of the University of Cambridge highlighted the importance of nature-based solutions to tackling environmental challenges. Will the Prime Minister tell us what the UK Government did at COP26 to pursue those conclusions and whether they will be pursued at the COP15 biodiversity talks?

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A potential barrier to accelerated move towards 100% zero emission vehicles, what are the British Government doing to ensure that the grid will be resilient enough to meet expected demand?

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In order to meet our commitments on net zero, the Humber energy estuary will play a vital role. Why, in all the briefings over the weekend about the integrated rail review, we in the Humber will get nothing in terms of greener, faster connectivity?

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In the run-up to COP, the Prime Minister spoke about Kermit the Frog. On the first day of COP, he spoke about cows belching before disappearing up a closie for the next two weeks, instead focusing his time on trying to cover up Conservative party corruption.

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Each COP agrees on more ambition, but we are yet to see action. The world is currently on track for 2.4°—a death sentence for millions and devastation for the planet.

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Glasgow is a proud host of COP. Will the Prime Minister act to support and incentivise investment in innovative start-ups such as Katrick Technologies in my constituency, which is growing in developing world-leading green energy technology?

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I met the Speaker of the Tuvalu Parliament who told me that donor countries had provided enough finance for them to build a seawall, but the consultants from the donor countries could not agree on how to build the seawall.

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The Glasgow climate pact included a request that countries return next year with stronger targets for 2030, yet within hours the Australian Government had issued a statement saying that they were not intending to strengthen their target.

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The UK has some of the draughtiest homes in Europe. A national retrofit programme would not only drive down emissions, but create thousands of jobs and save families £400 on annual energy bills.

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Rather than self-congratulations today, surely the time to judge the historical significance of the Glasgow COP will be in 2050. Does the Prime Minister recognise that climate change will cause more migration and conflicts?