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COP28
14 December 2023
Lead MP
Graham Stuart
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Climate
Other Contributors: 20
At a Glance
Graham Stuart raised concerns about cop28 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister thanked the House for its hard work and welcomed the UK's achievements in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy since 1990. He highlighted the need for urgent action as global emissions are not on track to meet the Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C by 2030. The Minister emphasised that COP28 secured a historic agreement on phasing out fossil fuels, despite some limitations and loopholes. The UK committed £1.6 billion for new international climate finance projects and up to £7.5 billion over the next decade through the Climate Investment Funds Capital Market Mechanism. An additional £576 million was pledged to safeguard 10 million hectares of forests and help half a million people in poor rural communities, with an extra £35 million promised for Brazil's Amazon fund. The UK also expanded its clean technology accelerator programme and supported international green public procurement pledges. However, the Minister acknowledged that more action is needed, particularly on coal phase-out.
Ed Miliband
Lab
Doncaster North
Question
The Shadow Secretary asked four questions: 1) How can the UK persuade other countries to leave fossil fuels in the ground when it plans to extract all of its own? 2) Given that the Climate Change Committee says we are way off track for our 2030 targets, how does the Minister expect to persuade others to have policies meeting their targets? 3) With concerns about the UK's climate finance promises, how can he ensure other Governments will keep theirs? 4) How does describing net zero as a burden help persuade others of its benefits?
Minister reply
The minister did not provide specific answers in the provided transcript to address each question directly.
Ed Miliband
Lab
Doncaster North
Question
Miliband questions the Minister about the UK's commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels, pointing out that despite COP28 agreements, the UK is opening a new coalmine and seeking to drill every last drop of oil in the North Sea. He also challenges the minister on missed targets for 2030 and whether the Government would meet their £11.6 billion climate finance promise.
Minister reply
The Minister defended the issuance of oil and gas licences, stating that the UK is a net importer and needs to manage its decline by issuing new licences to grow independence from imports while reducing emissions through ever higher standards. He also emphasised his party's record on meeting carbon budgets under their leadership.
Alok Sharma
Con
Reading West
Question
Sharma asks the Minister to review the plan for issuing annual oil and gas licences, questioning whether they are consistent with international commitments. He also requests a review of the tax regime that gives significant subsidies to new oil and gas projects.
Minister reply
The Minister praised Sharma's work at COP26 but defended the issuance of new oil and gas licences as necessary for managing decline in production while maintaining high standards. He also highlighted the UK’s high corporate tax rate on oil and gas, stressing that it allows for the greening of the North Sea basin.
Steven Bonnar
SNP
Clydebank and Copparpoint
Question
Highlights the success of the loss and damage fund but also notes that it falls short of what is required. Asks how the UK will push for more funding and contributions now.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the need for increased funding, noting a £60 million contribution from the UK, with £40 million going directly to the loss and damage fund. He also mentions exploring options for innovative financial flows beyond donor finance.
Steven Bonnar
SNP
Clydebank and Copparpoint
Question
Asks about how UK's plans to increase oil production in the North Sea align with the transition away from fossil fuels.
Minister reply
The Minister clarifies that there is no plan for an increase in oil production, noting a 7% annual decline in production. He emphasises the UK’s leading role in reducing emissions and supporting the energy transition.
Therese Coffey
Con
Suffolk Coastal
Question
Praises the Minister for his work on securing COP28 agreements, particularly highlighting the mangrove breakthrough moment.
Minister reply
The Minister thanks the MP and emphasises the importance of nature in climate policy. He also pays tribute to officials who played a crucial role in drafting the agreement.
Daniel Zeichner
Lab
Cambridge
Question
Asks about changes expected in UK domestic policy as a result of COP28 agreements on food system transformation.
Minister reply
The Minister agrees that sustainable agriculture and land use are fundamental to achieving net zero. He acknowledges the need for continued focus on delivering progress in this area.
Vicky Ford
Con
Chelmsford
Question
Highlights the need to close the gap between science and promises made, stressing the importance of local, national, and international efforts.
Minister reply
The Minister agrees on the urgency and acknowledges the significant challenges ahead. He emphasises the importance of a just transition for vulnerable communities.
Barry Gardiner
Lab
Brent North
Question
Compliments the Minister's statement but expresses concern over the tone in some responses, stressing the need for cross-party consensus.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledges the importance of mutual trust and careful steps to ensure that all countries are carried with the process. He also mentions the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism as an example of international cooperation.
Trudy Harrison
Con
Copeland
Question
The commitment that 24 countries have made to triple nuclear energy capability by 2050 shows the world has woken up to the most powerful, least land-taking, reliably proven net-zero energy provision. Without the world-class skills and blue-collar workers working on UK sites, we would not be in a position to back atomic energy.
Minister reply
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend's understanding of the nuclear industry and its importance. The science says that we cannot get to net zero without nuclear, and we should step up loud and proud, facing down ideological opposition.
Mary Glindon
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
Question
What proposals does the Minister have for workers dependent on oil and gas jobs now, who could power our clean energy future? Offshore Energies UK estimates that if we get the transition right, the workforce could swell by 50%. Where is his plan?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady's constituency members' jobs will disappear or go abroad if we pull them and say there will be no new licences or investment in the North sea. I am fully behind her on maintaining our energy security today.
Tobias Ellwood
Con
Bexleyheath and Crayford
Question
Would it be wise to start introducing annual targets—a yearly roadmap—so that we can see incrementally how we will meet long-term objectives?
Minister reply
Once the Labour Government agreed to take the Climate Change Act forward, they realised there needs to be a period over which these things can be balanced out. I think five-year carbon budgets were right and have withstood the test of time.
Greenwich and Woolwich
Question
What does the Government believe the implications are for the UK to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems? Will it mean accelerating action to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels this decade?
Minister reply
Our nationally determined contribution for 2030 is for a 68% cut from the 1990 basis—far more than any of our peers. We keep policies under review and put in place required policies step by step.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Question
May I congratulate the UK Government on signing the statement on civil nuclear fuel co-operation with the US, Canada, France, and Japan? The $4.2 billion of external investment will go a long way to securing our energy side.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is well informed and insightful. We were pleased along with 21 other countries to join NetZero Nuclear because nuclear has such an important part to play.
Anna McMorrin
Lab
Cardiff North
Question
How can he go to developing countries saying that they must seize these opportunities provided by net zero, given his Prime Minister’s message at home?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is always challenging within the Chamber. The PM remains committed and insisted on our commitment to net zero while ensuring that we carry people with us.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Gorton and Denton
Question
May I start by thanking the Minister? Politics aside, there is much we can all agree on in the deal at COP. However, it is about not just what we do, but what we say and how we say it. Does the Minister not get that these messages are heard across the globe? Will he go back to No. 10 and ask the Prime Minister to be just a bit more careful in his language and how he says things so that we can get net zero over the line?
Minister reply
In maintaining the public commitment to net zero, it was important to say to people in my rural east Yorkshire constituency, for example, who are off the gas grid and fearful concerning heat pumps, that they would not see their boilers ripped out when they did not think there was an affordable and deliverable alternative. We combined that with a 50% increase in the heat pump subsidy level to £7,500, and we saw a tripling of interest in the following week.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
The Minister said that we have to ensure we are not inflexible. The reality is that a number of the policies and issues we are discussing will have an impact on the next generation and the one after that. Whenever I go into schools in my constituency, the young people raise climate change with me. Does the Minister agree with UNICEF on the need to build towards a climate change action plan for children and young people by calling for an expert dialogue on children and climate change to be held mid-year at the session of the subsidiary bodies in 2024?
Minister reply
The hon. Lady is right to highlight children, who will inherit the planet we leave behind. In the meantime, they are peculiarly vulnerable to the negative impacts we are already seeing this year, let alone those we will see if we get to 1.5°C or beyond.
Jamie Stone
Lib Dem
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Question
I dare say that it might seem slightly implausible to people here in the Chamber when I say that I worked in oil fabrication, but I did, and the yard where I worked built some of the mightiest structures in the North sea today. What the Minister says about transitioning and redeploying skills is music to my ears and those of my electorate. However, there is a problem, which is that since the auction, some costs have risen by almost 40%. Does the Minister recognise that, and does he have any thoughts as to how it might be addressed?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question, which, as ever, is well informed and extremely reasonable. He is absolutely right. I visited the port of Nigg. I was interested to see nascent floating offshore wind work, fixed-bed offshore wind work and oil and gas work, and I wandered into a hall where they were making a large and sophisticated piece for Hinkley Point C.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Minister very much for the positives in his statement and the significant targets that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is setting to achieve our goals. Some of the figures he has referred to are encouraging. I wholeheartedly support help for poor countries, as he will be aware. Will he outline the parameters of the loss and hardship fund that has been mentioned as they pertain to ensuring that the fulfilment of human rights obligations is in the requirements for any award?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his as ever gracious question. One of our disappointments—there were things we were disappointed with in the UAE consensus—was the watering down of elements we would have liked to see on human rights. He is right to highlight that.
Shadow Comment
Ed Miliband
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Secretary welcomed some key outcomes from COP28 but criticised the Government for their lack of action and inconsistent policies regarding climate change. He questioned how the UK can persuade other countries to leave fossil fuels in the ground when it plans to extract all of its own, and asked about meeting NDC targets while being off track. Miliband also raised concerns over the credibility of the UK's promise to provide £11.6 billion in climate finance and criticised the Prime Minister for undermining global efforts by describing net zero as a burden.
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