Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 910174, Climate Change: International Cooperation, what policy objectives his Department has for discussions with international partners on tackling climate change.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Priority Outcomes for 2019/20 now include a specific objective on Climate Change: 'tackle the global threat of Climate Change by: galvanising international action; promoting the role and impact of COP26, including bidding to host it; and taking a global leadership role'.

The objectives for discussions vary widely depending on the international partners concerned but focus on: increasing global ambition to bring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into line with Paris Agreement goals; delivering policy and regulatory reform that supports sustainable growth and transition to a low carbon economy; and supporting effective measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the most vulnerable countries. We are well placed in these areas. We have proved that it is possible to reduce carbon emissions and grow the economy and are one of the first G7 countries formally exploring a more ambitious GHG emissions' target. With our Clean Growth Strategy and Grand Challenges we are continuing our delivery of the world-leading 2008 Climate Change Act and have committed to leading the resilience strand at the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit. We are also discussing COP26 in 2020 and our offer to host. Given that it will be a critical summit, marking the full adoption of the Paris Treaty and the date by which countries should provide strengthened national action plans, we are committed to ensuring that it is a success.