(Lab):...The
Government need to set an example back here by not supporting
the Cambo oilfield
and the Cumbrian coal mine. Mr Sharma needs to ensure processes
for implementation for the commitments that have already been
made, particularly for the side deals. He needs to make sure that
we get over the line on the $100 billion annual funding and that
private sector funding is leveraged alongside that. He needs to
soften up the resistance to the compensation discussion, and I am
sure the House wishes him great success...
(LD):...This lack of
regard for science-based evidence by policymakers is causing
despair in younger generations, who see a dangerous future in
which—I say this advisedly—the planet will not be hospitable to
humans. It is shocking that even today, knowing what we know and
observing the planet shuddering under the weight of immense
imbalances to its natural moderating cycles, we failed at COP 26
to call out the burning of fossil fuels as a major contributor to
this emergency. I am sure that the Minister will say in response
that, after 26 years, just getting a mention of fossil fuels into
the agreed text was a success, but how can we expect a different
response from other polluters when our own Government, enriched
by historic greenhouse gas emissions, will not say no to a new
coalmine in Cumbria or to the planned new Cambo oilfield
off the Scottish coast? The leader of the SNP has voiced her
opposition to it; will the Minister urge the Government to oppose
it also? Or does he take the same line as the noble Lord, , that it is better to
produce oil and gas domestically than import it from
overseas?
Cambo’s oil has little to do with satisfying
domestic demand: 80% of UK oil is exported and sold on global
markets. The new investment in oil will only drive demand and
take investment and support away from proven, scalable sources of
renewable energy. Cambo will
not even provide jobs in the UK, because contracts for the
construction and installation of rig have gone to overseas firms.
This is but the tip of the iceberg. According to Friends of the
Earth, there are 40 other new UK fossil fuel projects awaiting
government approval, something that the IEA and the IPCC have
said cannot happen if we are to stay within 1.5 degrees
centigrade. I am reminded of the words of the playground rhyme:
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt
me.” Words alone are not enough: we need firm, cross-government
policy, consistent with our domestic and international climate
commitments, in which “no new fossil fuels” is a central plank...
(CB):...I am out of
time. Very quickly and thirdly, let us turn those pledges into
action and NDCs. On the domestic front, we must revise our own
net-zero targets and look again at whether we move faster.
Symbolically, we need to lead so that others can follow. We must
look at our supply-side issues—let us stop Cambo
On agriculture, let us get really quickly into reforming
agricultural subsidies and then tell the rest of the world how we
did it...
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