Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill will help the UK achieve commitments agreed under the 2015 UN Paris Climate Agreement.

The Climate Change Act 2008 was the first of its kind in the world and made the UK the first country to introduce a legally binding, long-term emissions reduction target. In June 2019, following advice from the Committee on Climate Change, the UK Government set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. In doing so, the UK became the first major economy to legislate for a net zero target. This will bring an end to the UK’s contribution to climate change.

The Government is deeply committed to domestic and international efforts to tackle climate change. This year alone, the Government has committed billions in spending as we increase support for our low-carbon economy and green jobs. In November 2021, the UK will provide global leadership on climate change as President Designate and host of COP26 in Glasgow. We are determined to use this platform to raise global climate ambitions to achieve the transformational change required by the Paris Agreement.