Found: Following the Second Reading of the Climate And Nature Bill in January, myself and the DESNZ Secretary

Found: Parliament on climate and nature.ii While noting your support for the principles of the Climate and Nature Bill

Found: Following the recent Climate and Nature Bill debate, the Secretary of State committed to an annual

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Rt. hon and hon. Members on the Climate and Nature Bill since 24 January 2025.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. Accordingly, we have engaged extensively with Roz Savage MP on the proposed Climate and Nature Bill and agreed how we can take forward the spirit and substance of the Bill. The minister responsible for the Bill area, Minister Creagh, met with Roz Savage on 27 January to discuss the government’s approach to taking forward the spirit of the Bill.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the Climate and Nature Bill.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises and has agreed steps to take forward the spirit and substance of the Climate and Nature Bill with the Bill’s Sponsors. There is already a well-developed legislative framework that supports our actions in the areas of climate and nature including the Climate Change Act and the Environment Act. In accordance with parliamentary convention, the Government will set out its formal position on this Bill when its Second Reading debate is scheduled to resume.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to Question 34414 on Climate and Nature Bill, tabled by the hon. Member for Newton Abbot on 27 February 2025.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Question 34414 was answered on 3 April 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to support the Climate and Nature Bill.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. We do not believe that more legislation is needed in the areas of climate and nature, where there is already a well-developed legislative framework, especially the Climate Change Act and the Environment Act. In accordance with parliamentary convention, the Government will set out its formal position on this Bill when its Second Reading debate is scheduled to resume.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to meet with campaigners involved with the Climate and Nature Bill.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We regularly meet with campaigners on a wide range of issues, including those who support the Climate and Nature Bill.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to strengthen the relationship between the (a) Joint Nature Conservation Committee and (b) Climate Change Committee and the UK Special Representative for Nature.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As part of the Government’s consideration of the Climate and Nature Bill, on 24 January 2025, I committed to strengthen relationships between the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and the Special representative for Nature. There is already a strong working relationship between JNCC and CCC. We intend to build on this at a more strategic level and work has commenced to integrate the Special Representative for Nature into this engagement.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to implement changes to binding commitments on nature protection, in the context of assurances made during the Climate and Nature Bill Second Reading debate on 24 January 2025.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to deliver for nature, taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, to restore and protect our natural world.

We will develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets.

The Government has concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23). We published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP later this year.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of 24 January 2025 in the Climate and Nature Bill debate, what steps the Government plans to take to strengthen the narrative on imported emissions.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises and has agreed steps to take forward the spirit and substance of the Climate and Nature Bill with the Bill’s Sponsors. An update on these steps will be set out in a Ministerial Statement by the autumn.

Information about the Carbon footprint for the UK – including UK consumption emission figures from imported goods and services - is published by Defra and is available up to 2021 : Carbon footprint for the UK and England to 2021 - GOV.UK . Figures are due to be updated in the Spring.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of 24 January 2025 on the Climate and Nature Bill, how his Department plans to improve collaboration between the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Committee on Climate Change and the special representatives on climate and nature policy.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As part of the Government’s consideration of the Climate and Nature Bill, on 24 January 2025, I committed to strengthen relationships between the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and the Special representative for Nature. There is already a strong working relationship between JNCC and CCC. We intend to build on this at a more strategic level and work has commenced to integrate the Special Representative for Nature into this engagement.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve data reporting on consumption emissions, in the context of commitments made during the Climate and Nature Bill Second Reading debate on 24 January 2025.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises and has agreed steps to take forward the spirit and substance of the Climate and Nature Bill with the Bill’s Sponsors. An update on these steps will be set out in a Ministerial Statement by the autumn.

Information about the Carbon footprint for the UK – including UK consumption emission figures - is published by Defra and is available up to 2021: Carbon footprint for the UK and England to 2021 - GOV.UK . Figures are due to be updated in the Spring.

Climate and Nature Bill

Found: Polling, and considerable public support for the proposed Climate and Nature Bill, demonstrate that