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1133999

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle anthropogenic climate change and global warming.
tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
tabling member printed	Laura Smith
uin	268492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The government introduced legislation for a new net-zero emissions target for 2050, which was passed by Parliament last month.</p><p> </p><p>Defra works closely with the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the natural resources sector, including agriculture, forestry, land-use, waste and resources, and fluorinated gases, as set out in the Clean Growth Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>The UK was the first country in the EU to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which will through reducing the use of hydrofluorocarbon greenhouse gases lead to a reduction of emissions by 85% by 2036.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We support nature-based solutions through our international aid programmes on forestry and mangroves/blue forests that act as effective carbon sinks as well as provide for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.</p><p> </p><p>We will publish the England Peat Strategy to protect existing carbon stores and as part of this we are establishing a Lowland Agricultural Peat Taskforce to develop a more sustainable future for agriculture on lowland peatland in England. Following on from our Resources and Waste Strategy, we are consulting on food waste collection schemes which will divert food waste from landfill.</p><p> </p><p>As the cornerstone of new agricultural policy, the new Environmental Land Management Scheme will pay public money for the provision of environmental public goods, such as the mitigation of and adaption to climate change. This year, we will start developing a new emissions reduction plan for agriculture, in which we will set out our long-term vision for a more productive, low-carbon farming sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The action we are taking will continue our tradition in climate leadership.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 01/07/2019 16:04:10 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

1134197

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	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.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	268449
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>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.</p><p> </p><p>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.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 01/07/2019 13:32:16 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1134198

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to pursue and implement nature-based solutions domestically to (a) mitigate and (b) adapt to climate change and (c) protect and restore nature; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	268450
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>Nature-based solutions are key to tackling and strengthening resilience to climate change impacts. Our wetlands, forests and grasslands capture carbon – and provide other environmental benefits, such as flood management, pollination, and biodiversity. The Government is deploying such solutions to improve our natural environment and our Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out key policies on how improving nature can help tackle climate change.</p><p> </p><p>Tree planting is one of the main contributors to nature-based carbon sequestration. Our manifesto committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, and a further 1 million trees in our towns and cities. We also have a long term aspiration to increase woodland cover in England from 10% to 12% by 2060. To achieve these goals, in the Autumn Budget the Chancellor announced £10m for an Urban Trees Challenge Fund – which is now open for applications - and £50m to help plant new woodlands through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.</p><p> </p><p>Peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store. Organic or peat soils make up 11% of England’s total land area, over 70% of which are drained or in poor condition. We have committed to publishing an England Peatland Strategy. The strategy sets out our vision to reverse decline in peatlands and restore them. Work is underway on four large-scale peatland restoration projects across England, to which we have allocated £10m, and will restore 5,851 ha of degraded peatlands. We are also improving saltmarshes.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England has an ongoing uplands programme with landowners and we will also be setting up a Lowland Agricultural Peatland Taskforce to help sustainably manage and restore peatland habitats. Once restored, our healthy functioning peatlands will provide a range of public benefits in addition to carbon storage, including flood mitigation and biodiversity rich habitats.</p><p> </p><p>Under the new Environmental Land Management Scheme we will pay public money for the provision of environmental public goods. These public goods will include the mitigation of and adaption to climate change.</p><p> </p><p>We also support nature-based solutions through our international aid programmes on forestry and mangroves/blue forests.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 02/07/2019 10:47:30 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1133158

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2019 to Question 262224, which councils have (a) declared a climate emergency (b) set a target for net zero emissions by 2030; and whether any councils set other dates for net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	266626
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>A list of councils that have declared a climate emergency can be found here: <a href="http://www.caceonline.org/councils-that-have-declared.html" target="_blank">http://www.caceonline.org/councils-that-have-declared.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Several of these councils have committed to becoming carbon neutral, with each council responsible for setting its own target date for achieving net zero emissions.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 25/06/2019 10:26:02 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1133390

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits to council tax payers of local authorities in England declaring a climate emergency in their area; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Sir Christopher Chope
uin	266619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the actions of Local Authorities across England to tackle climate change. We have always been clear that to achieve our climate targets it will take significant ambition at all levels.</p><p> </p><p>Achieving clean growth has to be a shared endeavour between government, local authorities, businesses, civil society and the British people. The development of Local Industrial Strategies, led by Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships, will build on unique local strengths to ensure every community, and the country, reaches their economic potential, supports clean growth and green jobs.</p><p> </p><p>Most motions have committed Councils to come back later this year with programmes to achieve their stated ambitions. This Government is looking at what support we can provide through our local energy programme and other programmes to help Councils make progress in taking action to tackle climate change.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 24/06/2019 13:54:26 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

1133393

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect on climate change of local authorities in England declaring a climate emergency in their area; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Sir Christopher Chope
uin	266620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the actions of Local Authorities across England to tackle climate change. We have always been clear to achieve our climate targets will take significant ambition at all levels.</p><p> </p><p>Most motions have committed Councils to come back later this year with programmes to achieve their stated ambitions. This Government is looking at what support we can provide through our local energy programme and other programmes to help Councils make progress in taking action to tackle climate change.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 24/06/2019 13:54:34 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

1131997

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2019 to Question 261071, whether the Chancellor wrote to the Prime Minister on the cost of a net zero climate change policy.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Test
tabling member printed	Dr Alan Whitehead
uin	264291
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Chancellor is in regular contact with the Prime Minister on a range of issues.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is committed to tackling climate change and we are a world leader in clean growth. That is why last week the Government began to legislate for a net zero emissions target by 2050. The UK is the first major economy to put such a target in legislation.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time, the Chancellor has accepted the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change to conduct a Review into the costs of decarbonisation. This will be the world’s first comprehensive review by a finance ministry into the costs of transitioning to a net zero economy. The Review will consider how to achieve this transition in a way that works for households, businesses and public finances, as well as the implications for UK competitiveness.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 18/06/2019 15:20:00 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
tabling member	62 label Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead

1132090

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 12 June 2019, Official Report, column 661, what reafforestation programme the Government plans to adopt to reach net zero by 2050; and whether that programme will implement the recommendation of the Committee for Climate Change on planting 30,000 hectares of trees each year.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	264330
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>On 12 June, the UK announced that we will end our contribution to the most serious environmental challenge we face - climate change, by legislating the introduction of a net zero emission target for 2050, following the Committee on Climate Change’s advice. We are one of the first major economies in the world to legislate for a net zero target. Meeting this target will require us to build on the progress already made, by further reducing emissions across all sectors of the economy.</p><p> </p><p>Forests are vital in the fight against climate change and we are determined to grow woodland cover. The Government is delivering on a range of afforestation commitments including contributing £5.7M to kick start planting in the Northern Forest, £10 million for trees in towns and cities through the Urban Tree Challenge Fund and £50 million for new woodland through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee. There is now guidance to ensure better recognition of the wider natural capital benefits that trees can provide and we have just reappointed our Tree Champion for a further year to continue to lead engagement on a new England tree strategy, which we will consult on later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Committee for Climate Change’s recent report recognises the work we have done to lay the foundations to build a net zero economy. The Committee’s indicative recommendations on tree planting are ambitious, and we know we need to go further and faster to plant more trees.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 18/06/2019 12:43:20 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1131901

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 17 April (HL15076), whether they will publish any advice they have received about solar radiation management (SRM) technologies having clear winners and losers; whether they will publish the reasons for their decision to cease research into SRM technologies; whether they intend to review that decision; and if so, when.
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Research into Solar Radiation Management (SRM) technologies was commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals; references are given in our published position statement, attached.</p><p> </p><p>We did not commission further research because the next logical step was to do similar studies with different climate models run by institutions in other countries. This has been taken forward by the World Climate Research Programme’s Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP), which has served to coordinate SRM simulations across international modelling groups. Results from this project indicate that there are still large uncertainties in the effectiveness of SRM and its potential wider impacts on the environment. This work is ongoing and the Government maintains an interest in its outputs.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 18/06/2019 16:43:18 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley attachment 1 file name SRM position statement_attachment.docx title SRM technologies statement
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1131902

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Climate Change
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 17 April (HL15077), why they do not have any plans to increase global cooperation and governance of research on, and the use of, solar radiation management technologies; and what assessment, if any, they have made of the risk of that lack of plans leading to unilateral deployment without international consent
tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
uin	HL16320
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The priority of the UK Government is to tackle the root cause of climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities and adapting to those impacts that are unavoidable. We are aware of independent existing efforts to increase cooperation and governance of research into solar radiation management technologies, such as the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative and the ‘Oxford Principles’ for the governance of geoengineering. We have not formally assessed the risk that lack of plans may lead to unilateral deployment without international consent.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 26/06/2019 12:03:46 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn