Business Secretary to be quizzed on preparations for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26)

On Monday 21 September the Business Secretary and UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) President, Alok Sharma MP, will face questions on the Government’s preparations for COP26 in November 2021 from the representatives of five House of Lords EU sub-committees.

They will be joined by the Chair of the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee.

Earlier in the year these committees asked five panels of witnesses about how climate change will affect different policy areas and what the Government’s response should be. The Business Secretary will be asked about the issues raised in these individual committees’ evidence sessions.

Questions Mr Sharma is likely face include:

• What are the Government’s aims for COP26? What does success look like?
• What steps are being taken to improve climate-related disclosures by companies internationally?
• Which sectors and activities need public intervention if the net-zero transition is to be achieved?
• How is the UK Government ensuring that climate action is properly integrated into UK development policy and its wider relations with least developed countries?
• What are your red lines in negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and carbon markets? Will you permit an agreement that allows double counting or the carryover of old credits?
• How is the Government supporting and highlighting the work of the UNFCCC Task Force on Displacement? Is the Government encouraging collaboration between climate change experts and migration experts?
• The International Relations and Defence Committee published a report on the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa in July. Drawing on the conclusions of that report, how is the UK working with African countries in preparation for COP26?
• The negotiating objectives for the Government’s trade negotiations with the US notably fail to mention obligations for the Parties to meet climate change commitments. How will the Government bring the US back to the table on some of these issues?
• As the host of COP26 we will be expected to take a global lead on climate policies. The UK’s own Committee on Climate Change states that with current policies we will not meet our future carbon budgets. How will this be resolved?

This evidence session will take place at 10am on Monday 21 September 2020. It can be watched on Parliament TV.

The five House of Lords committees which came together to examine the climate change challenge were:

• EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee
• EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee
• EU Internal Market Sub-Committee
• EU External Affairs Sub-Committee
• EU Financial Affairs Sub-Committee