UN Climate Change Conference 2025
1/13. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK’s priorities for the UN Climate Change Conference 2025.
We are working closely with the Brazilian presidency to support a high-ambition outcome at COP30 in Belém which reflects the scale of the challenge and our shared 1.5° goal. That includes ambitious new nationally determined contributions and the effective implementation of the global stocktake commitments, as well as action on issues such as tackling deforestation and methane emissions.
It was encouraging to see the Prime Minister’s commitment to going further and faster towards net zero at the international energy summit last week, because not taking action on climate change will cost us much more. Does the Minister agree that clean energy is not only good for the planet, but can give my constituents in Bedford and Kempston energy security and lower bills?
My hon. Friend is right. Other countries are looking to us. The conference last week was a good example of us being back in the business of global leadership. Whether it is through the Global Clean Power Alliance or our national mission to be a clean energy superpower, we are spearheading the transition because it is cheaper, cleaner and more secure. His constituents will benefit from that too.
I welcome the announcement made only a few days ago that the Government will adopt the amendment to the Great British Energy Bill to prevent slave-made goods, meaning that they will not be balancing their environmental consciences on the backs of some of the world’s most endangered and troubled individuals in the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. Will the Government extend that to the private sector to make sure no slave-made goods are coming into the UK? In New Ash Green and Ridley in my constituency, a solar panel farm is being put in that not only threatens the environment, but threatens to bring in slave-made goods into the United Kingdom.
I would dispute that it is threatening the environment, but we will be looking at the wider issue the right hon. Gentleman raises through the solar industry taskforce.
I call the Chair of the Select Committee.
The overwhelming majority of those at the international energy summit last week said that the transition to low-carbon energy is crucial to energy security. Does my hon. Friend agree that those in this Chamber and beyond who do not support the transition to low-carbon energy are playing fast and loose with this country’s energy security?
That is absolutely the case. It was heartening to see so many countries and so many representatives from business come together at the conference last week. We are showing global leadership on this issue. We know it is the way forward in terms of our energy security, and not putting us at the mercy of dictators and petrostates. I thank my hon. Friend for his support.
Given the sheer scale of the outages in Portugal and Spain over the past few days, is it likely that the conference will consider and possibly conclude that there is some correlation between the obsession with net zero and what happened in Portugal and Spain?
First of all, I am sure the whole House will want to send support to Spain and Portugal following the incidents yesterday. There were no effects in the UK, but we will continue to closely monitor the situation and any lessons learned from this event. I am not going to speculate as to its causes, but we do need to ensure that our own systems are as resilient as possible.