Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the carbon footprint of the Mozambique gas project funded by UKEF; and whether that carbon footprint meets the the UK"s commitments under the 2015 Paris Climate Commitment and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Project’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment estimated the annual Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the Mozambique LNG Project to be approximately 6 MtCO2eq. per annum. This equates to around 6 - 10% of Mozambique’s national GHG emissions, which are historically very low (just over 1/20th of the UK per capita level). GHG emissions were estimated in accordance with the GHG Emissions Protocol: Corporate Accounting & Reporting Standard developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI).
The Paris Agreement (Article 4.1) recognises that the peaking of greenhouse gases will take longer for developing countries, such as Mozambique, and the LNG Project sits within Mozambique’s longer-term plans to establish strong social and economic stability.
The Project’s Scope 3 emissions are produced predominantly by the use of the Project’s LNG. Calculating LNG Scope 3 emissions is highly complex and requires details of when, where, how and how much of the Project’s gas volumes will be used. UKEF made some reasonable assumptions about Scope 3 emissions, that it then took into account in its review of the Project.
UKEF also considered the likelihood of the Project’s gas being used to replace or displace more polluting hydrocarbon sources, such as oil and coal. This would result in lower net emissions when used as energy sources.
UKEF has not specifically considered alignment of the MOZ LNG Project in relation to the SDGs. As a UK government department delivering support to UK exporters, UKEF actively contributes to the UK’s progress towards, and achievement of goal 8 (decent work and economic growth), goal 16 (peace justice and strong institutions) and goal 17 (partnership for the goals). UKEF’s role in unlocking finance for delivery of projects has ancillary contributions to other SDGs in destination countries.
The UK Government keeps its support for the fossil fuels industry under review to ensure the UK reaches its net zero target by 2050.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with UK trade partners on maintaining environmental protection standards in trade agreements.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government is clear that more trade does not have to come at the expense of the environment and we are committed to meeting our ambitious environmental objectives in our future trade policy.
Of course, Britain has long supported the promotion of our values globally, and we will continue now that we have left the EU. The precise details of any British free trade agreement are a matter for formal?negotiations?and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions, but we are exploring all options in the design of future trade and investment agreements including possible environment provisions, to make sure that future trade is sustainable and upholds Britain’s high environmental standards.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with her US counterpart on reforms to the World Trade Organisation disputes resolution process.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Secretary of State engages regularly with the US Trade Representative on World Trade Organisation (WTO) reform, amongst other trade interests.
The United Kingdom is committed to supporting the multilateral trading system. A two-stage, impartial, binding and compulsory dispute settlement system is crucial in ensuring that we can enforce the rules we have negotiated.
We have listened carefully to the concerns raised about the Appellate Body and stand ready to engage in further discussions on potential solutions, including reforms to the
system, with our US counterparts and other international partners.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with UK trade partners on maintaining International Labour Organisation standards in future trade agreements.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government shares the high regard of the British people for worker protections and has made clear that we will not compromise on these.
Whilst the precise details of any British free trade agreement are a matter for formal?negotiations?and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions, we are exploring all options in the design of future trade and investment agreements, including possible labour provisions, to make sure that future trade upholds Britain’s own high standards and our international obligations.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how new agricultural subsidies linked to the delivery of public goods will be integrated into the UK's trade negotiations.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
As we take back control of our laws from the EU, we will set our own standards. When the Transition Period ends, we will remain a global leader in environmental protection and animal welfare standards, maintaining high quality produce for consumers at home and overseas.
HM Government’s reforms to agricultural subsidies are a domestic policy and we will uphold our support for farmers in all our trade negotiations. The Secretary of State for International Trade regularly discusses trade negotiations with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) her international counterparts on the UK signing the proposed Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability.
Answered by Greg Hands
Having left the EU, the UK has a unique opportunity to design a set of policies to tackle climate change and environmental improvement tailored to the needs and high ambition of the country. We are exploring trade policy options to support ambitious action on climate change, including the policy options set out as part of the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) negotiations.