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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK is taking steps with the Government of China to promote natural climate solutions at the UN’s Climate and Biodiversity Summits in 2020, and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The Government is a world leader in calling for nature based solutions to be recognised as critical in addressing climate action. I met the Environment Minister for China at the G20 to discuss this and The Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties to be held in China next year.

The UN Climate Action Summit this September provides a more immediate opportunity to deliver ambitious initiatives that tackle both climate change and biodiversity loss. The UK is co-leading the Resilience and Adaptation theme for the Summit and is actively engaging with other partners who are leading and developing the other themes. This includes China, who is co-leading the Nature Based Solutions theme for the Summit.