The Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak) With permission, Mr Speaker, I
will make a statement on COP27, which I attended in Sharm el-Sheikh
on Monday. When the United Kingdom took on the presidency of COP,
just one third of the global economy was committed to net zero.
Today, that figure is 90%, and the reduction in global emissions
pledged during our presidency is equivalent to the entire annual
emissions of America. There is still a long way to go to limit
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The Prime Minister ()
With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on COP27,
which I attended in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday.
When the United Kingdom took on the presidency of COP, just one
third of the global economy was committed to net zero. Today,
that figure is 90%, and the reduction in global emissions pledged
during our presidency is equivalent to the entire annual
emissions of America. There is still a long way to go to limit
global temperature rises to 1.5°, but the historic Glasgow
climate pact kept that goal within reach. I know that the whole
House will want to join me in paying tribute to my right hon.
Friend the Member for Reading West () for his inspirational
leadership as COP President.
The question at this summit was whether countries would deliver
on their promises. I am pleased to say that our nation will. We
have already cut our carbon emissions faster than anyone else in
the G7, and we will fulfil our ambitious commitment to reduce
emissions by at least 68% by the end of the decade.
I know that some have feared that Putin’s abhorrent war in
Ukraine could distract from global efforts to tackle climate
change, but I believe it should catalyse them. Climate security
and energy security go hand in hand. Putin’s contemptible
manipulation of energy prices has only reinforced the importance
of ending our dependence on fossil fuels, so we will make this
country a clean energy superpower. We will accelerate our
transition to renewables, which have already grown fourfold as a
proportion of our electricity supply over the last decade; we
will invest in building new nuclear power stations for the first
time since the 1990s; and, by committing £30 billion to support
our green industrial revolution, we will leverage up to £100
billion of private investment to support almost half a million
high-wage, high-skilled green jobs.
There is no solution to climate change without protecting and
restoring nature, so at COP27 the UK committed £90 million to the
Congo basin as part of £1.5 billion we are investing in
protecting the world’s forests, and I co-hosted the first meeting
of our forests and climate leaders’ partnership, which will
deliver on the historic commitment to halt and reverse forest
loss and land degradation by 2030.
Central to all our efforts is keeping our promises on climate
finance, so the UK is delivering on our commitment of £11.6
billion. To support the most vulnerable who are experiencing the
worst impacts of climate change, we will triple our funding on
adaptation to reach £1.5 billion a year in 2025.
In Glasgow, the UK pioneered a new global approach, using aid
funding to unlock billions of pounds of private finance for new
green infrastructure, so I was delighted to join President
Ramaphosa to mark the publication of his investment plan, which
delivers on this new model. South Africa will benefit from
cheaper, cleaner power, cutting emissions while simultaneously
creating new green jobs for his people. We will look to support
other international partners in taking a similar approach.
We also made further commitments to support clean power in
developing countries. This included investing a further £65
million in commercialising innovative clean technologies and
working with the private sector to deliver a raft of green
investment projects in Kenya.
The summit also allowed me to meet many of my counterparts for
the first time. With the Egyptian President, I raised the case of
the British-Egyptian citizen Alaa Abd el-Fattah. I know the whole
House will share my deep concern about his case, which grows more
urgent by the day. We will continue to press the Egyptian
Government to resolve the situation. We want to see Alaa freed
and reunited with his family as soon as possible.
President Macron and I discussed our shared determination to
crack down on criminal smuggling gangs, and I discussed illegal
migration with other European leaders too. We are all facing the
same shared challenge, and we agreed to solve it together. I had
good meetings with the new Prime Minister of Italy, the German
Chancellor, the President of the EU, the President of Israel, and
the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Kenya and Norway, as
well as the UN Secretary-General.
In all these discussions, the United Kingdom is acting with our
friends to stand up for our values around the world, to deliver
stability and security at home. Tackling climate change and
securing our energy independence is central to these objectives.
Even though we may now have handed over the presidency of COP,
the United Kingdom will proudly continue to lead the global
effort to deliver net zero, because this is the way to ensure the
security and prosperity of our country today and for generations
to come. I commend this statement to the House.
(Holborn and St Pancras)
(Lab)
I thank the Prime Minister for advance copy of his statement. May
I start by raising the case of Alaa Abd el-Fattah? As the Prime
Minister knows and has said, he is a British citizen jailed for
the crime of posting on social media and has been imprisoned in
Egypt for most of the last nine years; he has been on hunger
strike for the last six months. The Prime Minister just said that
he raised this case with President Sisi; what progress did he
make in securing Alaa’s release?
It is right that the Prime Minister eventually went to COP27.
Remember the stakes: the world is heading for 2.8°C of
warming—that is mass flooding, habitats destroyed, untold damage
to lives and livelihoods. We must prevent that, for security, for
the public finances and for the next generation. That is why it
was inexplicable that he had to be dragged kicking and screaming
to even get on the plane. Britain should be leading on the world
stage, helping the world confront the greatest challenge of our
time, but his snub, one of the first decisions of his
premiership, was a terrible error of judgment and sent a clear
message that if you’re looking for leadership from this Prime
Minister, look elsewhere, and that if you want to get this Prime
Minister to go somewhere, get the right hon. Member for Uxbridge
and South Ruislip () first—get him to come along,
then the Prime Minister will follow.
And the Prime Minister’s reluctance is so bizarre because climate
action is not just a once-in-a-generation responsibility, it is
also a once-in-a-generation opportunity: an opportunity to lower
energy bills for good; an opportunity to ensure Britain’s
security is never again at the mercy of tyrants like Putin; an
opportunity to create millions of jobs and break out of the Tory
cycle of low growth and high taxes. They are opportunities that
he is passing by.
The Prime Minister said in his speech at COP27 that we need to
“act faster” on renewables, so why is he the roadblock at home?
As he was flying to Egypt, his Minister was reaffirming the ban
on onshore wind—the cheapest, cleanest form of power we have.
The Prime Minister also said at COP27 that he realises
“the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels”,
but he inserted a massive oil and gas giveaway when Labour forced
him into a windfall tax: taxpayers cash handed over for digging
up fossil fuels. Shell has made £26 billion in profits so far
this year, but not a penny paid in windfall taxes; he has
completely let it off the hook.
And what about the industries of the future? Manufacturers of
batteries for cars in Britain: struggling. Green hydrogen
producers: struggling. Yet in other countries, these industries
are taking off: jobs going abroad because we have no industrial
strategy here at home.
The Prime Minister also said at COP27 that it was
“right to honour our promises”
to developing countries. So why is he cutting the aid budget? It
is always the same message, “Do as I say, not as I do,” and
because of that, it will always fall on deaf ears.
It is time for a fresh start. A Labour Government would make
Britain the first major economy to reach 100% clean power by
2030. That would cut bills, strengthen our energy security,
create jobs, and make Britain a clean energy superpower. And our
green prosperity plan would establish GB Energy, a publicly owned
energy company, to invest in the technologies and the jobs of the
future here in the UK.
As we attempt this endeavour, we have a fair wind at our back:
not just the ingenuity and the brilliance of people and
businesses in this country but the natural resources of our
island nation. Wealth lies in our seas and in our skies, and it
is an act of national self-harm not to prioritise them over
expensive gas. That is the choice at the next general election,
whenever it comes: more of the same with the Tories or a fairer,
greener future with Labour.
The Prime Minister
The right hon. and learned Gentleman raised the matter of my
attendance at COP. I gently point out to him that Labour Prime
Ministers failed to attend, I think, 12 of the 13 COPs held
during their time in office. As Chancellor, I hosted the finance
day on COP last year, where we had landmark agreements to rewire
the financial system to unlock the trillions of dollars that we
need in private finance to flow to help us with the transition.
It is a record that I am proud of and one, by the way, that is
recognised around the world.
Let me deal with the right hon. and learned Gentleman‘s brief
substantive questions. He asked about renewable power. Forty per
cent. of our electricity now comes from renewable power. That is
up fourfold since 2010. What did we inherit? A Labour Government
who believed there was no economic case for new nuclear power. He
talked about oil and gas. Again, he needs to live in the real
world. Oil and gas are going to be a part of our energy mix in
the transition for several years ahead. It is simply pie in the
sky to pretend otherwise. The independent Climate Change
Committee has even recognised that. The carbon footprint of
homegrown gas is half the footprint of importing gas from abroad,
so it is a sensible thing to do.
Our plan is the right plan. It is realistic, it is credible, it
is delivering for the British people, as well as delivering on
our climate commitments. The right hon. and learned Gentleman’s
own shadow Chief Secretary described his climate plan as a
“borrowing plan”. We know where that leads us. It is not the
right thing for the British people. [Interruption.] I know the
British people trust me to manage the economy and they will not
trust the Labour party. The right hon. and learned Gentleman
might be focused on reparations around the world. We are focused
on creating a strong economy here at home and that is what we
will do.
(Maidenhead) (Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. I also welcome the
continued commitment that he and the Government are showing to
net zero by 2050 to tackle climate change. He is absolutely right
to talk about the creation of high-skilled, high-wage green jobs
as we green our economy, but people need the training, skills and
education to be able to take on those jobs. What are the
Government’s plans on education and training for green
skills?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right and I thank her for her
warm comments. I point her to our record investment in
apprenticeships in particular, but also to the new lifelong
learning entitlement, which acknowledges that people will have to
retrain at any point during their life to take advantage of the
new economic opportunities that are coming our way. I am pleased
that we will be rolling out that programme over the coming
years.
(Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
(SNP)
I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement.
Let me also welcome his last-minute change of heart to attend
COP27. But I am afraid that, whether he likes it or not, his
initial instinct not to attend will be long remembered, and
rightly so. It means that he now has a major job to convince
people that he is truly committed to the challenge of climate
change.
That commitment starts with our own domestic targets, but it is
vital that our collective commitment extends to those in the
global south. Nations and peoples are being damaged the most by a
climate crisis that they have contributed the least to. These are
the poorest people on this planet and they always seem to pay the
highest price. That is why it is so right and necessary that loss
and damage were on the formal COP agenda for the first time.
I am proud to say that, through the leadership of our First
Minister, Scotland has become the first developed nation to
pledge finance to address loss and damage. Our country is now
committed to a total of £7 million—a small sum on the scale of
what is needed, but a powerful message to larger nations that
need to follow that lead. We do not need to wait for consensus
and a decision at COP. We can start funding loss and damage
programmes straightaway.
Will the Prime Minister guarantee that UK overseas aid earmarked
for climate finance will be spent within the five-year timeframe,
as originally promised? Will he also guarantee that the total aid
budget will not be slashed further in the autumn statement next
week? Finally, in terms of the new Prime Minister’s domestic
targets on climate, will he honour the promises made to the
north-east of Scotland on carbon capture and storage? Will he
commit to taking the Scottish cluster off the Government’s
reserve list and to fund it right now?
The Prime Minister
I am pleased that it was the UK that established a new Glasgow
dialogue on loss and damage to discuss arrangements for funding
activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage, and
those conversations are ongoing. With regard to our international
climate finance pledges, as I say, we remain committed to the
£11.6 billion, and it is our intention to deliver it over the
timeframe that was originally envisaged. With regard to targets,
again, it should be a source of enormous pride for everyone in
this House that we have decarbonised in this country faster than
any other G7 country. Our targets are among the most ambitious in
the world and we have a credible plan to get on and deliver
them.
(Ludlow) (Con)
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on his crystal clear
commitment both in Sharm el-Sheikh and in this Chamber here today
to delivering net zero Britain. There is no doubt about that
under his prime ministership. Now we no longer have the
presidency of COP, which has been acting as a forcing mechanism
across Government, can he clarify how he intends that his
Government will deliver our ambitious nationally determined
contribution to reduce emissions across the disparate strands of
Government Departments?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I can assure him
that, although we are no longer formally the president of COP,
our leadership on this issue internationally will not waver, and
he has my commitment on that. I personally will drive this
through Government—in conjunction with the Secretary of State for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and with our climate
change Minister—but this is something that pervades all aspects
of Government now, and we have to change our thinking on this. It
is not the work of any one Department or any one Minister; if we
are going to make this commitment work, we are all going to have
to play our part.
(Hemsworth) (Lab)
Given the scale of what is about to happen to our planet, every
single one of us must do what we can to alleviate the problems
that we are facing, but the richest 1% of people on our planet
are responsible for the same amount of global emissions as the
poorest 50%. Does the Prime Minister accept that, unless we
tackle the issues of social justice, we will not resolve the
problems of climate change, and was he comfortable that one of
the worst polluters on the planet, Coca-Cola, sponsored the
recent meeting of COP?
The Prime Minister
As we have been discussing, I believe we have a moral obligation
to help those countries with the transition to net zero and I am
proud to say that we are playing our part in doing that. It was
great at COP to sit down with leaders from many of those emerging
market countries that are benefiting from the investments from
our country to help them with the transition. They recognise the
leadership role that we are playing.
(Tunbridge Wells) (Con)
We need to create jobs and prosperity as we transition to net
zero. In battery technology, we are world leading in the
research, but we need to manufacture batteries here. Given the
concerning news about Britishvolt, will the Prime Minister and
his colleagues commission an urgent review of how we can deliver
the gigafactories that are necessary in this country in the short
term to make sure that we have a continuing vibrant car
manufacturing industry?
The Prime Minister
I thank my right hon. Friend for his comments. I think it may
have been his idea to create the Faraday battery challenge, but I
was pleased to support that, as Chancellor, with £200 million of
funding. He is right about the importance of building a domestic
gigafactory capability. I was pleased with the announcement from
Envision and Nissan in Sunderland. There is more in the pipeline,
and we have the automotive transformation fund available to
support those projects to build the vibrant ecosystem that he and
I both want to see.
(Kingston and Surbiton) (LD)
I welcome what the Prime Minister said at COP—that tackling
climate change goes hand in hand with lowering energy bills,
improving our energy security and hurting Putin in his illegal
war in Ukraine. However, I am alarmed that at home the Prime
Minister has banned onshore wind, one of the cheapest and most
popular forms of renewable energy. Will he confirm whether his
priority is cutting people’s energy bills, improving Britain’s
energy security and tackling global climate change, or keeping
the dinosaurs on his Back Benches happy? Why will he not get rid
of the ban on onshore wind?
The Prime Minister
It started so well. We are committed to reducing people’s bills
and to having more forms of renewable energy. Our track record on
this is superb: the amount of renewable energy is four times more
than in 2010 and zero carbon energy now accounts for half of our
electricity needs. We are poised to do more. Offshore wind is the
thing we are focusing on, along with nuclear. We are now a world
leader in offshore wind, which is providing cheap forms of
electricity and energy for households up and down the country.
Alongside nuclear, that is how we will transition to a cleaner
grid.
(Epsom and Ewell) (Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for getting our environmental
strategies back on track. We clearly have a major issue not
simply about carbon, but about the loss of biodiversity both on
land and at sea. I welcome what he says about our support for the
Congo basin. We have, in a month’s time, another crucial summit
in Montreal—the convention on biological diversity summit—where
further decisions will be taken about how we tackle the loss of
biodiversity internationally. Can I ask him to ensure that the
United Kingdom plays the fullest possible part in those
discussions and a leadership role in tackling that issue?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. There were many moving
statements from leaders across the globe at COP on that
particular topic, and I can confirm to him that it is something
we are widely acknowledged around the world to be a leader on: we
put it on the agenda last year in Glasgow. The Secretary of State
for the Environment will be attending that COP in Montreal. Our
world-leading Environment Act 2021 commits us to reducing the
decline in biodiversity and species loss, and I look forward to
working with him to deliver on it.
(Rotherham) (Lab)
Of course, I welcome any investment for the global south to
mitigate the horrific damages of climate change, but is this new
money, is it coming out of the existing official development
assistance budget and what is being cut if it is coming out of
the existing ODA budget? As Chancellor, the right hon. Member
made savage cuts to climate mitigation programmes. Is he going to
replace those?
The Prime Minister
As Chancellor, yes, I did make difficult decisions to ensure that
our public finances were on a sustainable trajectory. That is not
something I am going to shy away from, because I think we have
all seen what happens when the Government do not command the
confidence of international markets when it comes to borrowing
and debt issues. I thought, in that context, it was reasonable to
temporarily reduce our ODA budget until our public finances are
in a better place, and that is a commitment that I stand by, but
we remain committed to the £11.6 billion in international climate
finance that we committed at the time. Those announcements have
come from that budget. It is very welcome that we are able to
continue delivering that, even though we are facing some other
difficult decisions on other topics.
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
The Prime Minister has emphasised the very substantial investment
being made in climate-related measures both at home and overseas,
but does he share my reservations about the idea of spending
trillions more pounds on so-called reparations payments, as
advocated by the Opposition, at a time when the public finances
are already under strain?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is not the right
approach, and it is worrying to hear Members of the Labour party
suggesting that it is. What we are doing is fulfilling our
obligations to help those emerging markets transition to a
cleaner future, and we are doing that in a way that supports
them, but also supports British companies that are able to
provide those investments and create jobs at home as well.
(Islington North) (Ind)
I am grateful for my continued rent-free tenancy in the Prime
Minister’s head, but if in future he could just let me know when
he intends to speak about me, that would be helpful. That is the
norm in the House.
Could I ask the Prime Minister if he would take this opportunity
to welcome the election of President Lula in Brazil, and his
commitment to both social justice and environmental justice, and
to confirm what the previous Prime Minister told this House,
which is that no British bank, financial institution or company
will henceforth be allowed to invest in fossil fuel extraction
anywhere in the world as part of our contribution to bringing
about net zero globally?
The Prime Minister
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question. If he could
ask the Leader of the Opposition to give me advance sight of his
questions, I would be happy to let him know if I need to bring
him up on questions of security.
I agree with the right hon. Gentleman on the importance of ending
international finance for coal-fired power plants. It was a
landmark agreement that the COP President and the UK presidency
achieved at COP. Ninety other countries have signed up to it, at
a minimum, and I am keen to make sure that we deliver on those
commitments and we push them through the international financial
system.
(Chelmsford) (Con)
My Essex constituents absolutely get the impact of climate
change, because they saw it at first hand in those awful fires
last summer. Many of them also get that, unless we help other
countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change, we will see
even more unsustainable migration, and that will impact us at
home. So it is great that my right hon. Friend has reconfirmed
our commitment to the investment amounts that we promised in
Glasgow and that he has reconfirmed our commitment to deliver
those on time. Can he confirm that we will continue to work with
other countries to make sure those investments are made on
time?
The Prime Minister
I thank my right hon. Friend for all her work in this area, which
she is rightly passionate about and where she has made an
enormous difference. I look forward to receiving her continued
advice on how we can deliver on our commitments. I am pleased to
give her that reassurance. Actually, as she knows, the doubling
of our international climate finance commitment was a catalyst
for many other countries around the world doing the same. We want
to ensure that all that money is spent, and spent well. That is
what we will do.
(Brighton, Pavilion)
(Green)
The Prime Minister just said how important it is to keep our
promises on climate finance, and I agree. Will he explain why he
does not seem to agree with himself? His Government have not kept
their climate promises. He has not delivered the $300 million
that we still owe to the green climate and adaptation funds—when
will we see that? Will he ensure that all new climate finance is
new and additional and not being raided from an ever diminishing
aid budget? Does he recognise that the moral obligation that he
talks about must extend beyond mitigation and adaptation to
address loss and damage? Will he support the establishment of a
finance facility for loss and damage at COP27?
The Prime Minister
On loss and damage, I have already made the point that we
established the Glasgow dialogue to see how best to take forward
those discussions. I will not pre-empt the discussions happening
at COP, but that is not the same as reparations—I think the hon.
Lady understands that—which is not what is on the table. That is
clear in the language that is being debated at COP.
(North East Bedfordshire)
(Con)
At COP26, the Prime Minister was successful in mobilising
hundreds of billions in international private capital to support
the challenge of net zero, which seems a much better deal than
Labour’s plan, which would place a huge burden on British
taxpayers. What further steps will my right hon. Friend take to
consolidate London’s leadership as a centre for green
finance?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend knows this well. Indeed, he was responsible for
the retail green sovereign bond that we issued here—we were the
first country in the world to do so—and he deserves credit for
that. I am pleased that for, I think, the second or third year in
a row, London has been named the world’s leading place for green
finance. We are taking forward a range of initiatives around
disclosures to make that even more of an advantage for us,
including more carbon trading. I look forward to getting his
advice on how we can make that aspiration a reality.
Dame (Llanelli) (Lab)
The Welsh Labour Government are setting up a publicly owned
company to accelerate investment in onshore wind and other
renewables, thus reducing emissions, increasing energy security
and using profit for the public good. Given that onshore wind is
the cheapest form of renewable energy, when will the Prime
Minister step up to the mark, match the Welsh Government and
bring forward an accelerated investment programme for onshore
wind across England?
The Prime Minister
There has been a slightly chequered history of Labour councils
and publicly owned energy companies—in Nottingham, from
memory—and that is not a model that we want to emulate. However,
we are supporting Wales with the transition. We invested in the
Holyhead hydrogen hub, which is a potential future opportunity,
and we are looking at nuclear sites and, as we heard from my
right hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (), at the huge potential of
floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea, which will also all be
good for Wales.
(Winchester) (Con)
It is so obvious that we have a Prime Minister who is personally
committed to this agenda. My constituents really appreciate that,
as does their MP. The Prime Minister knows how important the
Solent freeport in his old neck of the woods could be to my
constituents and those much further afield. Will he and his
Government work with us—not least because part of the freeport is
based at and around Southampton airport—on sustainable aviation
fuels? This country has a really good lead in this area already,
and that could be to our advantage as well as lead to a whole new
future of clean air travel.
The Prime Minister
I thank my hon. Friend for his kind comments. He is right about
the potential of the freeport, which I am pleased to champion,
not least as a Southampton boy, as well as the opportunity for
sustainable aviation fuel. It is clear from conversations with
industry that we are in a position of world leadership on that. I
was pleased to invest about £200 million to help commercialise
two sustainable aviation fuel plants and I am encouraged that the
private sector is taking that and investing far more to bring it
to reality. That is an exciting development for the UK.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
The Prime Minister has a challenge in getting money out of the
door. The BioYorkshire project, which will bring
transformation—it is the biggest green new deal before the
Government—needs funding, which has been committed but, two years
down the line, not released. When will he bring that funding
forward for the transition to the technologies of the future that
we need to address climate change?
The Prime Minister
I agree with the hon. Lady that we need to invest in innovation.
That is why we have a £1 billion net zero innovation portfolio,
because ultimately it will be the technologies of the future that
will help us solve this problem. If she writes to me, I will be
happy to look into that specific bid.
(Bournemouth East) (Con)
I welcome the Prime Minister’s attendance at COP27 and our
commitment on climate change, which is the biggest long-term
strategic challenge that the globe faces as we test the limits of
our fragile planet. With net zero a long way off, we face
problems today from extreme weather patterns including floods and
increased crop failures. Their scale will further erode global
security, with vulnerable states subject to desertification, food
shortages and rising sea levels. Will the Prime Minister
recognise that the burden in meeting some of those challenges
will fall on our armed forces both domestically and
internationally and, therefore, this is not the time to cut the
defence or international aid budgets?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend is right about the devastation that climate
change is causing, not least in Pakistan where 30 million are
impacted as an area the size of the entire United Kingdom is now
under water, with disease rife through the water. He knows that I
remain committed to supporting our armed forces, and that will
always be the case.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
The Prime Minister gives oil companies who are already making
billions in excess profits 90p in tax breaks for every £1 they
invest in oil and gas, literally fuelling the climate change that
will bring more flooding to the north-east, destroying our
agriculture, lives and livelihoods, prospects and prosperity. Yet
he refuses to invest in the north-east’s transport
infrastructure, industry, green technologies, people and skills
to combat climate change. Why does he treat the oil companies
with such largesse and leave the north-east with nothing?
The Prime Minister
The hon. Lady is simply not right. It is not realistic or
practical to think that we do not need to use oil and gas for the
foreseeable future as a transition fuel. The choice for
Opposition Members is: would they rather have that from here at
home or import it at almost double the carbon footprint? It seems
to me relatively straightforward that we should support domestic
oil and gas production in the short term.
The hon. Lady talks about new investments in renewable energy in
the north-east as if they are not happening. She might want to
visit Teesside. Whether it is offshore wind, hydrogen or carbon
capture and storage, that is where the future is, and it is
happening in the north-east.
(Gillingham and Rainham)
(Con)
We have all seen the impact of Russia’s illegal invasion of
Ukraine on energy and food security. Will the Prime Minister join
me in addressing Russia’s false narrative about the impact of the
United Kingdom’s sanctions? I was the United Kingdom’s Minister
for sanctions, and it is crucial that we address the false
narrative. The United Kingdom’s sanctions against Russia do not
target exports or food supplies for developing countries. That is
squarely the responsibility of Putin and his Administration.
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. It was very
disappointing to see Russia remove itself from the Black sea
grain deal—I am pleased that there is now forward progress on
that—because, as he knows, almost two thirds of the wheat that
passes through the Black sea is destined for developing countries
and emerging markets. It is vital that that food flows and we
will do everything we can to put pressure on Russia to ensure
that it continues to happen.
(Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
(PC)
At COP27, the Prime Minister boasted about the UK’s investment in
renewables, yet a recent report by the Welsh Affairs Committee
warned that Wales’s renewable energy potential is
“threatened by a lack of UK Government leadership on improving
grid connectivity”.
The Prime Minister mentioned a number of worthwhile, good
projects in the pipeline in Wales, but, without that
connectivity, many of them are under threat. Will he set out an
accelerated timetable for improving grid capacity so that Wales
can realise its full potential in energy generation and, in so
doing, slash bills for communities throughout Wales?
The Prime Minister
The right hon. Lady is right that we need to ensure that we
invest in our grid to enable the transition. That is an
absolutely fair point and I know it is something the National
Grid is focused on. I would be happy to get more into it and
discuss it with her in the future.
(Guildford) (Con)
The UK is proof that one can achieve growth and slash emissions
at the same time. Does the Prime Minister agree that we have an
enduring commitment to go for clean and sustainable growth?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Our record on this is a 44%
reduction in climate emissions and 76% GDP growth. That shows it
is possible and that is what Britain is delivering.
(Exeter) (Lab)
What exactly is the Prime Minister’s problem with onshore
wind?
The Prime Minister
It is right that we bring people with us as we transition to net
zero. The worst thing we can do is alienate communities if we
want to actually deliver on our climate commitments. As it turns
out, we are very lucky to have a very reliable and very
affordable form of energy in offshore wind, which is also
creating jobs domestically in the UK. It is right that that is
our priority.
(South Ribble)
(Con)
After two wonderful weeks last November in Glasgow, with the hon.
Member for Edinburgh North and Leith (), what became really clear
was how far ahead of Governments industry and businesses are in
addressing these issues and challenges. For example, on electric
vehicles, range anxiety is an issue for those of us who live in
the north-west of England and have to try to get to London. Can I
have the Prime Minister’s commitment that we will do everything
we can to get government out of the way of private industry, for
example in EV charging infrastructure roll-out?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. We will not solve this
problem without the investment and co-operation of the private
sector. Governments simply cannot do it alone. When it comes to
electric charging infrastructure, we have helped with seed
funding of around £2 billion. We have one of the most developed
charging infrastructures in Europe, but she is right that,
ultimately, it has to be the private sector that delivers the
investment required.
(Hornsey and Wood Green)
(Lab)
Will the Prime Minister say what view he takes of the role of
local authorities in the climate emergency? In 2010, there were
some fantastic programmes. Had they continued to 2022, we would
have a third of our homes in which people—homeowners or
renters-—would be paying a third of the bills they are paying
now. What view does he take of local authorities getting stuck in
to retrofit, particularly in the private rented sector, which is
very draughty and leaky?
The Prime Minister
I am pleased that, in the spending review I conducted as
Chancellor, we put aside almost £5 billion to support energy
efficiency, including several programmes that support local
authorities to upgrade the energy efficiency of both low-income
private rented tenants and those in the social housing sector.
Those programmes are up and running. They are well funded and
local authorities can benefit from them.
(Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale
and Tweeddale) (Con)
I am delighted that the Government see nuclear power as part of
the low-carbon future and that its skills are part of the green
economy, but does my right hon. Friend share my disappointment
that the First Minister of Scotland and her SNP-Green coalition
Government continue to block nuclear development in Scotland,
depriving constituencies like mine of important potential jobs?
Perhaps it is an issue he might raise with her when he meets her
tomorrow.
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend is right about the importance of nuclear
power. We believe it can provide around a quarter of our energy
mix by 2050. It is a zero carbon, secure and baseload source of
power. That is why we have enabled more funding for advanced
forms of nuclear technology, such as advanced modular reactors
and small modular reactors, and it would be good if we could
spread the benefits across the whole United Kingdom.
(East Antrim) (DUP)
In the relentless and obsessive pursuit of net zero, the
Government are now adopting policies that are contradictory and,
in some cases, dangerous. We are going to import billions of
pounds-worth of natural gas from countries who frack that gas,
yet we are turning our back on the natural resources we have in
our own country, sacrificing revenue, jobs and energy security.
We are going to rely more on wind and solar power, the earth
metals for which are in the hands of autocratic regimes,
especially China. We are importing wood from America to burn in a
power station in the United Kingdom at a cost of billions to
electricity consumers. Those policies might be welcomed by the
chattering classes, but does the Prime Minister understand the
bewilderment, frustration and anger of those who struggle to pay
their electricity bills and worry about energy security?
The Prime Minister
I agree with the right hon. Gentleman about importing liquified
natural gas, which is why I am keen to encourage more
exploitation of our domestic oil and gas resources in the North
sea. He and I are aligned on that. We have conducted a new North
sea licensing round, leading to about 100 new licensing
applications. That will increase jobs in the UK and our energy
security, and that is the right thing to do.
(North Dorset) (Con)
The intervention and leadership of the Government is of course
welcome, as is the focus on helping developing and climate
change-vulnerable countries. What initiatives are being
considered, or could be considered, for businesses to share their
technologies, intellectual property and so on with expertise to
help those countries move forward far more quickly than we have
been able to do? It is, after all, business that will need the
research and development in this field which will solve the
global problem we all face.
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. That is the type of
leadership and contribution that Britain can make to solving the
problem globally. We are fortunate to have some of the world’s
best researchers and companies tackling this problem. On Monday,
I was pleased to announce about half a dozen investment
opportunities in Kenya, which do exactly what he describes:
British expertise helping a country with its transition in areas
such as solar and geothermal. That is an exciting template for
the future.
(Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)
Why is the Prime Minister banning onshore wind, the best
renewable energy?
The Prime Minister
We are providing four times as much renewable electricity today
as we did in 2010. We have plans to go even further as we roll
out offshore wind, which is a competitive strength for the UK. We
will complement that energy mix with new nuclear, a source of
energy that we all recognise we need, but for which the previous
Labour Government said there was no economic case at all.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Deputy Speaker ( )
I am trying to get everybody in. I ask Members to start with a
question, and then stop. [Laughter.]
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Con)
I thank the Prime Minister for his statement on COP27 and in
particular for highlighting his discussions on migration with
other European leaders. Does he agree with me that if we are to
sort out the migration crisis, we must all work together to help
developing countries with their climate change challenges, so
that we can also deal with the migration crisis?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend makes a good point. I was pleased to discuss the
migration issue with several European leaders in particular,
because we cannot solve this problem alone. As she said, it is
far better to solve it at source before it arrives on our shores.
That is the approach we are going to take.
(Rhondda) (Lab)
The Prime Minister said that he and his party are more trusted by
the British public on the economy. Well, there is one way of
testing that, isn’t there? It is with a general election and we
would be happy to have that.
Let me ask the Prime Minister whether he would like to visit the
Rhondda to see the problems that climate change is already
bringing to one of the poorer constituencies in the land:
flooding, run-off from the mountains, housing stock that is very
elderly and difficult to insulate, and a local authority that
already has £12 million of extra budget next year just to keep
the lights on and the schools and leisure facilities running.
Will he visit the Rhondda, and try to sort out some of those
problems?
The Prime Minister
One of the things the hon. Gentleman mentioned was energy
efficiency. As I said, we have billions of pounds in programmes
to support local authorities to improve the energy efficiency of
homes, particularly in deprived communities and for those on low
incomes. Those adaptations can save them hundreds of pounds on
their energy bill. I urge his local authority and others to
engage with us to deliver them.
(Truro and Falmouth)
(Con)
As we have heard today, energy security has never been more
vital. The journey to net zero is also our journey to energy
sovereignty. It will also mean lower bills and more reliable,
less volatile prices for our domestic market. Does my right hon.
Friend agree that Cornwall will play a vital role, offering
lithium, floating offshore wind and deep geothermal energy? Can I
extend an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit my businesses
and see the work going on in the south-west?
The Prime Minister
I would be delighted to do so. My hon. Friend is absolutely right
about the importance of building resilience in supply chains such
as lithium. The Minister for Science and Investment Security, my
hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Ms Ghani) is focused on our
critical mineral strategy, which was raised earlier. That is
right, and Cornwall can play a key part in improving our
resilience and security.
(Bath) (LD)
António Guterres said:
“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the
accelerator”.
The Prime Minister’s Government are good at making plans and
promises and setting targets, but they are poor at delivery. Will
he therefore re-establish the Department of Energy and Climate
Change to co-ordinate a whole-Government approach, given that the
delivery of net zero is fragmented and not on track?
The Prime Minister
Actually, we are on track to meet all the climate targets that we
have set. Our track record is that we have met them all. They are
the most ambitious in the world and I reassure the hon. Lady that
this is a whole-Government effort. Every Minister in the
Government is committed to doing what they need to do to deliver
on our ambitions.
(Stroud) (Con)
In expertise terms, Stroud is the greenest constituency in the
greenest county of Gloucestershire, so I welcome the important
challenge about what net zero means to everyday people, because
we are providing the solutions. Does my right hon. Friend agree
that Government programmes such as Jet Zero and expert green tech
businesses such as those in Stroud will be pivotal to the UK’s
meeting its targets here affordably for our constituents and to
helping other countries with climate challenges?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that is why this can be a
win-win. There are already hundreds of thousands of jobs in the
UK involved in our transition to net zero. Not only is that good
for our economy, but that expertise is helping other countries to
make the transition. We need to make sure that all our funding
and all our policies are geared towards supporting her fantastic
businesses in Stroud, because that is the right thing to do not
just for us, but for the world.
(Bethnal Green and Bow)
(Lab)
I wrote to the Prime Minister to ask him to make representations
to the Egyptian President about the case of my constituent
Jessica Kelly’s husband, Karim Ennarah, an Egyptian human rights
activist who was imprisoned. We campaigned and managed to get him
released, but he is the subject of a travel ban and an asset
freeze. First, did the Prime Minister raise that case, along with
that of Alaa Abd el-Fattah? Secondly, does the Prime Minister
think that it is right that his Government should divert billions
of pounds of aid funding away from those who are most vulnerable
to climate change and other risks when he has already made aid
budget cuts?
The Prime Minister
We are not diverting funding; we remain committed to the £11.6
billion of climate finance that we outlined last year. I raised
in general the topic of human rights with the President. I am
keen to see the release of the detainees, as are other countries,
and we will continue to press on all those matters.
(Gloucester) (Con)
Will the Prime Minister join me in thanking for his work at COP27 to
persuade Indonesia—home to globally important forests—to play a
key role in the new forests and climate leaders’ partnership?
When the Prime Minister goes to Indonesia for the G20 summit,
will he discuss with President Jokowi opportunities for energy
transition finance, marine energy co-operation and our starting
to work together on a green-tinted free trade agreement?
The Prime Minister
Not only will I pay tribute to the work of on that particular issue,
but I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his knowledge of and
engagement in the region. He deserves praise and credit for that.
He is right about the exciting opportunity to have what is called
a “country platform” with Indonesia to bring together public and
private finance to help it with its energy transition. I am
hopeful that we can play a big part in that.
(Eltham) (Lab)
Is the Prime Minister’s refusal to approve onshore wind
generation the reason why he cannot commit to 100% clean energy
by 2030?
The Prime Minister
I think the Labour party’s plans on climate change were called
“incredible” and “unrealistic” at the last election. Our plans
are practical and credible and they are the most ambitious in the
developed world. I feel very good about them, but we need to do
this in a realistic way that actually brings people along with
us. That is what our targets do.
(Runnymede and Weybridge)
(Con)
I thank my right hon. Friend for his statement. Today, Just Stop
Oil protesters have been on the M25 causing disruption and misery
to my constituents; that includes causing problems with access to
my local hospital. Does he agree that rather than engaging in
illegal stunts and endangering lives, those protesters should
look at our record of delivery on net zero—from renewables to the
Glasgow climate pact—and work with us constructively to deliver
on our environmental ambitions?
The Prime Minister
I completely agree, and I sympathise with my hon. Friend’s
hard-working constituents who are having to deal with that kind
of disruption. That is why we are moving ahead with legislation
to give the police the powers that they need to stop that type of
extremist protesting disrupting the lives of working people. I
very much hope that the Labour party joins us in supporting those
changes.
(Kingston upon Hull North)
(Lab)
Will the Prime Minister urgently press ahead with carbon capture
and storage in the Humber, which is the largest industrial
emitter of carbon? It is not right that the British taxpayer
alone should pay for that. Should multinational companies that
emit carbon not also have a role to play in financing carbon
capture and storage?
The Prime Minister
The right hon. Lady is absolutely right about the importance of
carbon capture and storage, which is why we have committed to
investing £1 billion to develop a couple of clusters over the
next several years. She will know about the announcement that has
been made on those. She is also right that this cannot be just
about what the Government do. Our money is designed to catalyse
the investment necessary from private companies, and I hope to
see that happen.
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s speech at COP27 and especially
his commitment to supporting green private finance projects, but
does he agree that we should support private firms who back all
sustainable environmental, social and governance principles, not
just those exclusively pursuing net zero?
The Prime Minister
Yes; my hon. Friend makes a very good point. We need a broader
approach, and that is what we will take as a Government. The UK
is leading on a broad range of things when it comes to
sustainability standards, and I look forward to getting his input
on how best we can take that agenda forward.
(Swansea West)
(Lab/Co-op)
As the Prime Minister will know, 8 million people die every year
from air pollution—63,000 die in Britain—and by 2050 there will
be as much plastic in the sea as there are fish. First, will he
invoke World Health Organisation air quality standards in Britain
as legally enforceable and encourage that at COP27? Will he also
look at my Plastics (Recycling, Sustainability and Pollution
Reduction) Bill, which is on today’s Order Paper? The Bill
suggests that we should not export plastics, that manufacturers
should pay the cost of recycling and that we should forge ahead
with a global plastics treaty in COP27.
The Prime Minister
I am pleased that air pollution has fallen significantly since
2010, which includes about a 40% reduction in nitrogen dioxide.
Our Environment Act 2021 has new targets in place and we have
supported local authorities with about £800 million in funding
for that. On plastics, that Act means that we will ban more
single-use plastics, charge for others and have a new enhanced
producer responsibility and a deposit return scheme. It is an
incredibly ambitious agenda to reduce the amount of plastic in
our system.
(Vauxhall)
(Lab/Co-op)
I am proud that my Vauxhall constituency is leading the way with
so many of my constituents concerned about global warming. My
local council, Lambeth Council, was the first local authority in
London to declare a climate emergency, leading the way on
policies to clean up the air. However, this action needs not just
local but national and international leadership, so it was sad
that the Prime Minister failed to show that through his
reluctance to attend COP27. Will he match the commitment from my
constituents by showing his commitment and financing to help to
address this important issue?
The Prime Minister
We have given that commitment, including to £11.6 billion for
international climate finance. However, as we have discussed,
this is not just about what the Government can do; we need the
private sector and private finance to help with the transition.
That is why all the changes that we are making to the financial
system are equally important, because that is where we will
unlock the trillions of dollars required.
(Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(Con)
Across the world, economies are facing huge challenges caused by
Putin’s war in Ukraine. Does the Prime Minister agree that
tackling climate change and achieving energy security are aligned
and that the war in Ukraine has made progress on domestic,
sustainable energy production even more urgent?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend is spot on; those two things go hand in hand.
Greater energy security will help us to meet our climate
ambitions. We want cheaper, safer and cleaner forms of energy
here at home, and that is what our plans are delivering.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Prime Minister very much for his statement. I welcome
the news that climate change remains a priority, but will he
further assure the House that heating and eating for our elderly
and vulnerable will also be a priority? While the Government seek
to be a good steward of the environment—I welcome that—they also
need to help our people have the basic quality of life that they
deserve in this great nation of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister
I join my hon. Friend in paying tribute to our elderly
constituents and citizens. It is right that they get extra help
with bills over the winter. That is why I tried to prioritise
them with the announcements earlier this year on the cost of
living payment, and it is why they receive a winter fuel payment,
but they will always be uppermost in our mind because they are
particularly vulnerable to cold, and we will make sure that we
look after them.
(Luton South) (Lab)
Nature is declining rapidly, with 1 million species at risk of
extinction and with deforestation accelerating in the Amazon and
around the globe. If we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C, we
must urgently halt and reverse that loss. Will the Prime Minister
now support Labour’s call for a net zero and nature test to align
all public spending and infrastructure decisions with our climate
and nature commitments?
The Prime Minister
That is why I am so pleased that one of our signature
achievements last year was to have countries that account for 90%
of the world’s forests agreeing to reverse and halt land loss and
degradation by 2030. We are playing our part in that. The
announcements on Monday supporting the Congo were warmly welcomed
not just in that country, but by other countries in Africa,
because they know that we are committed to this agenda.
(Glasgow North) (Ind)
The Prime Minister is very proud of the £11.5 billion that he
keeps talking about and that has been pledged, but where will it
actually be disbursed? If the aid budget is being cut, surely it
will come at the expense of other equally valid and equally
important projects. How on earth does slashing the 0.7% budget
commitment demonstrate the United Kingdom’s global soft
power?
The Prime Minister
The £11.6 billion is being spent over the period that was
outlined at the beginning. It is right that we invest in quality
projects that can make a difference, not rush to get money out of
the door and waste it. I make no apology for having had to make
some difficult decisions as Chancellor to ensure that our
borrowing was on a sustainable trajectory. That is the right
thing for this country: it is the right way to make sure that we
can restrain the rise in interest rates. This country will always
continue to play a leading role around the world, and I am proud
that we are doing so.
(Edinburgh North and Leith)
(SNP)
President Zelensky has proposed an initiative for
“a global platform to assess the impact of military actions on
climate and environment”,
citing the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine as an example of war
driving deforestation and renewed fossil fuel generation. Will
the Prime Minister be supporting Ukraine’s initiative at
COP27?
The Prime Minister
I was pleased to speak to President Zelensky on my first day in
office. He and I will remain in regular dialogue; I am sure that
we will discuss many ways in which we can support Ukraine, first
and foremost in repelling the illegal Russian aggression that it
is experiencing.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
Given the rapid decarbonisation of the steel industry, there is
no business case for the west Cumbria coalmine, a proposal that
is on the desk of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up,
Housing and Communities. When it comes to protecting our planet,
there was never a case for it. We have to keep our fossil fuels
in the ground, not dig them up and burn them. The Prime Minister
will be aware that, for the third time now, the Government have
delayed the decision whether to approve the west Cumbria
coalmine. It was delayed until after COP26 and has now been
delayed until after COP27. We have been told that 8 December is
the hard and fast date for the decision to be made. Will his
Government stick to that promise? Will they do the right thing
and say no to a new coalmine?
The Prime Minister
The hon. Gentleman knows that these are quasi-judicial processes
and it would not be right for me to comment on them.
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