Context
UK's efforts to maintain high environmental standards while negotiating free trade agreements with other countries.
Question
There is no point in the UK achieving our own zero-carbon targets if the trade deals we reach with other countries are pushing them ever further away from achieving theirs. Can the Secretary of State ensure that all future FTAs agreed by the UK reinforce the legal primacy of emission targets established in the Paris climate change agreement?
Answer from Greg Hands (Minister for Africa, Asia and the Pacific)
It is worth pointing out that nothing in any trade agreement would prevent the UK from reaching its targets under the Paris agreement and to go net zero by 2050—we are the first Government to commit to doing that, and no trade agreement will prevent us from doing that. We remain on the front foot in our advocacy, making sure that the international response remains extremely strong, including through multilateral agreements and the UK contribution to the global climate fund.
Not addressed: The assurance about maintaining UK's own targets but did not address reinforcing Paris Agreement targets for other countries directly in FTAs.
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