Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

UK Emissions Trading Scheme: Wales

13 July 2021 · 1 other contributor · 2,684 words

Opened by Ben Lake PC Ceredigion Preseli

Responding minister: Anne-Marie Trevelyan

ClimateWales

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Ben Lake raised concerns about uk emissions trading scheme: wales in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The UK Emissions Trading Scheme has brought coherence to efforts to achieve net zero emissions.
  • The Green Finance Observatory raised concerns that carbon offsets enable future emissions and protect corporate profits.
  • The Minister highlighted progress in the UK ETS, including four completed auctions and free allowances to qualifying operators.

Key requests to Government

I urge the Government to reflect on these remarks when concluding this debate. The Minister should address concerns that the ETS is not moving fast enough nor fundamentally reducing emissions. She should also support local groups and farmers in playing an important part in the carbon offset market, leading the transition to net zero.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Ben Lake PC Ceredigion Preseli

The scheme has brought coherence to one element of our combined efforts to achieve net zero, but there is room for improvement. The Green Finance Observatory highlighted that offsets are fundamentally not about mitigating climate change or even removing past emissions, but enabling future emissions and protecting economic growth and corporate profits. Large companies are purchasing vast tracts of agricultural land in the upper Teifi and Tywi valleys for forestry and carbon offsetting, internalising financial gain while externalising social, economic, and cultural costs to Welsh farmers and rural communities.

Other contributors (1)
  • Liz Saville-Roberts PC Dwyfor Meirionnydd

    Will my hon. Friend acknowledge the crucial importance of restoring Wales's peatlands, given that their climate change mitigation potential is 3,000 tonnes of carbon a year, equivalent to 5% of Wales's transport carbon emissions? I am sure he will also take the opportunity to welcome the peat restoration projects led by parc cenedlaethol Eryri, the Snowdonia national park.

Government Response

Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Minister congratulated Ben Lake on securing the debate and highlighted the UK's leadership in establishing a net zero carbon cap and trade market through the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). She outlined progress made since May, including four completed auctions and issuance of free allowances to qualifying operators. The minister committed to exploring further climate ambition, reviewing free allocation to protect industries from offshoring emissions, and expanding the scheme to other sectors while encouraging decarbonisation technologies. She also mentioned protecting competitiveness through a package of measures, setting industry expectations for emission reduction targets, and working with all Administrations on extending the UK ETS.

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