House of Commons · Westminster Hall
09 November 2022 · 6 other contributors · 12,182 words
Opened by Derek Thomas Con St Ives
Responding minister: Trudy Harrison
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Derek Thomas raised concerns about nature and climate declaration — [james gray in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
Mr Thomas asked the Minister to indicate when the missed targets required by the Environment Act 2021 will be published and to outline joint departmental work taking place between BEIS and DEFRA on intertwined issues such as offshore wind, geothermal energy, and emerging renewable technologies. He also requested a meeting with the Zero Hour team and other interested colleagues.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
Mr Derek Thomas expressed concerns about the need for clearer articulation of environmental protection and decarbonisation goals to resonate with constituents. He mentioned the failure to meet the deadline for publishing legally binding targets under the Environment Act 2021, highlighting inconsistencies across Government Departments as a risk to achieving these goals.
Expressed concerns about the Government's approach to climate change, highlighting the need for urgent action and criticising the initial decision of the Prime Minister not to attend COP27. Mentioned inconsistencies in the Prime Minister's current position regarding energy profits levy and onshore wind ban. Pointed out that home insulation rates have plummeted since the Conservative party took office over a decade ago. She noted the hon. Lady's remarks about bus fares, highlighting that in the Liverpool city region, the metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, has introduced a £2 fare which is having a positive impact on people's travel by making it more affordable. Ms Margaret Greenwood raised concerns about the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, particularly part 5 which she believes could threaten environmental protections within the planning system. She requested clarity from the Minister on discussions between her Department and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities regarding this legislation.
Scotland leads on climate targets with a net zero goal by 2045 and aims to cut emissions by 75% by 2030. The Scottish Government have been praised for their loss and damage funding support, including £2 million from the climate justice fund for developing nations impacted by climate change. They also provide support through training in water resource management and sustainable agriculture systems. Additionally, Scotland has committed to further increase funding for loss and damage caused by climate crises.
Mr Patrick Grady praised the hon. Member for St Ives and noted the importance of constituents engaging with MPs on climate issues, highlighting Glasgow's role in COP26 and urging attention to COP27 debates. He mentioned signing the nature and climate declaration and supported efforts to mitigate climate change and address loss and damage. Mr Grady stressed the need for cross-party consensus and called for clear targets and sustainable solutions, including a shift towards renewable energy sources. He also highlighted the importance of addressing internal displacement due to climate change.
Robin Walker discussed the importance of education and training in addressing climate change, mentioning his involvement as Schools Minister. He highlighted the launch of a sustainability strategy by the Department for Education and praised the Government's support for COP26 and COP27 initiatives. Robin also emphasized the role of nature conservation and environmental protection, referencing the location of the Office for Environmental Protection in Worcester. Additionally, he addressed the need for supporting biodiversity through agriculture policy and advocated for green technologies while being cautious about complete electrification of heating. In response to an intervention, Robin Walker suggested that private sector involvement in international climate finance pledges from Glasgow was a positive approach towards supporting developing countries in the context of climate change.
Ms Ruth Jones expressed concern about the UK's biodiversity loss, criticising the Government for failing to meet their own deadlines under the Environment Act 2021. She highlighted the impact of environmental issues on human health and wellbeing, mentioning flooding in several constituencies as an example. Additionally, she called for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies' profits and a commitment to insulate homes to combat climate change. There have been four consultations but no action yet on the deposit return scheme. She asks when it will happen.
The hon. Gentleman touches on the crucial point that the delivery of our targets is not on track because we are missing co-ordination within Government. Is it not time to bring back the Department of Energy and Climate Change to co-ordinate the delivery of our net zero targets? The Liberal Democrat MP expressed concern about the UK Government's lack of urgency in addressing climate change, citing a temperature rise of 2.8°C by the end of this century and highlighting that the Government's net zero strategy does not guarantee success with only a 50% chance of hitting targets. Concern that the proposed deposit return scheme might not be fit for the 21st century, urging the Government to consider a digital delivery model instead.
Government Response
Trudy HarrisonIt is an absolute pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray, for what I believe is the first time. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Derek Thomas) very much for his timely securing of this important debate. Given that it is taking place at the time of COP27, I am mightily impressed with the timing. We have a strong track record in supporting biodiversity and increasing carbon capture through natural methods. Since 2010, we have supported the creation or management of 175,000 hectares of priority habitat and created over 2,700 km of new hedgerows in 2021 alone. We have established over 100 marine protected areas and brought over 5,800 hectares of peatland under restoration through the £750 million nature for climate fund. Between 2010 and 2021, 123 hectares of new woodland have been planted across the UK, an area equivalent to Bedfordshire. We aim to treble woodland creation in England by the end of this Parliament. Our transport decarbonisation plan will require all new builds from 2025 to be future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading levels of energy efficiency. DEFRA works closely across Departments to improve air quality, reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and ensure support for electric vehicles. We have boosted the nature for climate fund to a total spend of more than £750 million by 2025. At COP26 last year, we brought nature into the centre of the climate COP for the first time. Today at COP27 in Egypt, we will demonstrate progress and integrated action on climate and nature since the UK's presidency. We recognise that the interlinked threats of climate change, pollution, habitat and biodiversity loss threaten global health, food supply, and economy.