Climate Change International Partners 2026-09-01
2026-09-01
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
Julie Minns inquired about the steps being taken by the Department to collaborate with international partners to combat climate change, emphasizing the urgency of the issue.
What steps his Department is taking with international partners to help tackle climate change.
Tackling the climate and nature crisis is an urgent priority for us all, as recent extreme wildfires and droughts have only served to reinforce. The UK is working with international partners to drive progress, whether through our forest partnerships with countries such as Brazil and Indonesia, or through our global clean power alliance to accelerate the worldwide transition to clean energy. The Foreign Secretary will act as the UK governor to the World Bank, taking personal leadership of the UK's engagement on development and climate finance, and later this month he will also convene Foreign Ministers at the UN to address climate security challenges.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide specific programmes or funding details, instead focusing on broad commitments to international cooperation.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Liz Twist mentioned the suffering of her constituents in Blaydon and Consett due to extreme heat, train cancellations, signal interruptions, and wildfires, and asked how climate change resilience is being embedded into the UK's core diplomatic and security strategy.
My constituents in Blaydon and Consett have suffered through a summer of extreme heat, seeing trains cancelled, signal interruptions and wildfires. Climate change affects every single one of us—not only in the UK but globally, as we have heard today—so how is climate change resilience being embedded directly into our core diplomatic and security strategy?
I sympathise deeply with my hon. Friend's constituents, who have been subject to such appalling disruption over the summer. We are very committed to strengthening international co-operation to anticipate, prevent and respond to climate-related risks of all sorts, including extreme weather. The French Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Secretary have recently reaffirmed their commitment to expand early warning initiatives, including through the climate risk and early warning systems programme, to strengthen protection for the most climate-vulnerable countries and populations, as well as for her constituents.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide specific strategies or detailed commitments on embedding climate change resilience into the core diplomatic and security strategy.
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
Julie Minns discussed the critical role of peatlands in tackling climate change and the work to restore the Bolton Fell Moss peatland in her constituency with EU funding. She asked about current international peatland restoration programmes and funding for the restoration of Cumbria's upland bogs.
The Minister will be aware that the world's peatlands play a critical role in tackling climate change, storing twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined. Thanks to previous EU funding, work to restore the Bolton Fell Moss peatland in my constituency began in 2015. Can the Minister outline what international peatland restoration programmes the UK Government are currently engaged with, and will she press DEFRA colleagues to ensure that the UK continues to provide long-term funding to restore Cumbria's upland bogs?
We are committed to peatland restoration, which is critical to tackling the climate and nature crisis and meeting our Environment Act targets, as my hon. Friend laid out. The UK supports international peatland conservation through programmes such as the Darwin Initiative. Darwin projects are, for example, helping communities in Peru and Indonesia to manage peatland ecosystems sustainably. Many tropical forests are also part of peatland ecosystems, and the UK has a long-standing portfolio of work supporting them. Of course, the Department continues to work closely with DEFRA to protect and restore important ecosystems.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide specific details on UK programmes or funding for peatland restoration in Cumbria.
Response accuracy
Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
Vikki Slade highlighted the importance of educating the public on climate change and suggested a national programme of public information or screenings of the “People's Emergency Briefing” to enhance public understanding.
After a horrendous summer of wildfires and the catastrophe in Nepal and Tibet, it is clear that if we are going to solve these problems, we need to act globally but think locally. It is really important that the public trust the information they receive on climate change. Will the FCDO work with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the public are educated, and will it consider funding a national programme of public information, or perhaps screenings of the “People's Emergency Briefing”, so that we can all understand more about the situation?
I could not agree with the hon. Lady more. It is very important that people trust the information they receive. She will have noticed the alert that was sent out across England, which was a sign of how seriously this Government take their commitment to communicate with the public responsibly.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not address the specific request for a national programme of public information or screenings of the “People's Emergency Briefing”.
Changed Subject
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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Context
Jim Shannon noted the existence of 67 wars across the world and asked what the Minister could do to ensure that sworn enemies come together to tackle climate change, which he described as the common enemy of every country.
I thank the Minister for her answer. There are 67 wars across the world—countries in conflict with other countries. What can she do to ensure that sworn enemies come together to tackle climate change, which is the real enemy of every country in this world?
I very much agree with the hon. Gentleman: climate change is a common enemy, and we have to face it across this House, across this country and across the world. We are committed to working with everybody who is taking climate action seriously.
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Assessment & feedback
The answer did not provide specific actions or commitments to ensure sworn enemies come together on climate change.
Response accuracy