Speeches by Gardiner.

“By consensus.”

“No. What proposals do we have now? We put forward Resolution 5 on plastics, but if we are taking a leadership role on environmental matters in the Antarctic, what are we putting forward and how are we going to implement it? We have no means, effectively, of amending the protocol until 2048 because unanimity is unlikely…”

“Sorry, Minister, that is understood. No, I was simply referring to the comment that Minister Vallance made about the impact on the UK from the gravitational impact, which was countered by the University of Delft. Minister Doughty, the UK sees itself as a global leader on environmental issues. Apart from Resolution 5 ba…”

“I was just asking for the source of the research on the shelf.”

“One more thing, if I may, Minister Vallance. You spoke about the gravitational effects of the mass of ice being lost and the impact that that would have. Research from the University of Delft a few years ago now suggested that—because this will happen in tandem with what has been going on in Greenland—the impacts aroun…”

“Yes, and principally as a result of the fact that we are getting rain in the Antarctic desert, which we have not previously had, which then causes a problem.”

“Take us through what the Government’s takeaway should be from that. Here we are making recommendations to the Government about this science. What should our key recommendation to the Government be as a consequence of that? Lord Vallance of Balham: I think it is very clear that, while mitigation is essential, adaptation…”

“The science that has been done in the past five years in the Antarctic has specifically shown, has it not, that things are happening much faster than we had previously thought?”

“Well, actually, not just for some low-lying islands. If all that ice went, we would be—”

“But particularly with reference to the Antarctic.”

“Professor Vallance, if I can come to you first, we heard from Dame Jane Francis that thinking about the rate of change in the Antarctic has radically altered in the last five years, I think with Robert DeConto’s paper from, if I remember, back in 2022-21. That rethink about the impacts of climate change, we are talking…”

“Just in case anybody is watching and writes in to us.”

“I hesitate here, but at the beginning, in your introduction, which was a fantastic introduction, I think you said that Antarctica contained 90% of the fresh water and it is 70%, isn’t it?”

“For InSync, for instance.”

“Dame Jane, would it therefore be one of the recommendations that you would like to see this Committee put forward in its report that the Government should permit that five to 10-year funding regime?”

“If you were still chairing the sub-committee, what is the one recommendation that you would insist was in our report?”

“I agree with you about being tough and robust, Mr Gray. I want to explore some of the things that you have said. On the one hand you say we are doing world-class science here, but then you said that is all historic and we should just be focusing on what to do about it. You say there is not enough money here but maybe w…”

“By consensus.”

“No. What proposals do we have now? We put forward Resolution 5 on plastics, but if we are taking a leadership role on environmental matters in the Antarctic, what are we putting forward and how are we going to implement it? We have no means, effectively, of amending the protocol until 2048 because unanimity is unlikely…”

“Sorry, Minister, that is understood. No, I was simply referring to the comment that Minister Vallance made about the impact on the UK from the gravitational impact, which was countered by the University of Delft. Minister Doughty, the UK sees itself as a global leader on environmental issues. Apart from Resolution 5 ba…”