James Berry
Main Page: James Berry (Conservative - Kingston and Surbiton)(8 years, 4 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Amber Rudd
The hon. Lady raises an important point. The current proposals from Paris would actually only achieve an increase of no more than 2.7 °C. Not only are we ambitious to ensure that we reach a maximum of 2 °C, but we would like to see the rise restricted further. There will be conversations in the EU this year to ensure that we meet the EU renewables targets, and we have the “effort share” discussions ahead of us. The real triumph of the Paris agreement is that it involves not just the UK and the EU but the whole world. The largest emitters, such as China and India, are also participating.
James Berry (Kingston and Surbiton) (Con)
7. What steps her Department is taking in response to the outcome of the COP 21 climate conference in Paris.
David Mackintosh (Northampton South) (Con)
13. What the outcomes for the UK were of the COP 21 climate conference in Paris.
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Amber Rudd)
My hon. Friends will be aware that the agreement reached in Paris in December was an historic step forward. Almost 200 countries committed to climate action, which, for the first time ever, they all agreed to review every five years and to be held accountable for. There will now be follow-up work in the UN to agree the detailed rules and prepare for the five-year reviews.
James Berry
Does my right hon. Friend agree that the deal in Paris sees the world signing up to the approach to tackling climate change adopted by the UK? Is she confident that her approach will ensure that we meet the goals agreed in Paris?
Amber Rudd
My hon. Friend is right. The UK can take pride in the structure that was put together in Paris because it mimics in some ways the Climate Change Act that we put in place so many years ago. The five-year review, the transparency and the need to come back all the time with an improved offer are the right way to go, and I am confident that we will be able to deliver on that. I am excited about the prospect of talking further to my international partners to make sure that we have in place the right system for delivering that over the next few years.