Tag: Barry Gardiner

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether the next allocation round for Contracts for Difference will be technology neutral.

Andrea Leadsom

The CFD scheme allows a wide range of renewable technologies to compete for contracts.

On 18 November 2015, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the intention to run three more auctions this Parliament, with the first, for the less established group of technologies planned for late 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-04-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport on the proposal to develop a work plan to define the shipping industry’s fair share in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions ahead of the International Maritime Organisation meeting on 18 to 22 April 2016.

James Duddridge

Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in regular contact with Department for Transport counterparts who lead for the UK at international negotiations to reduce emissions from the global aviation and shipping sectors. All countries agreed in Paris in December 2015 to limit global temperature increases to well below 2°C, and to pursue efforts towards 1.5°C. International negotiations on how the global shipping sector can contribute to this are at an early, technical stage.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons it has not been practicable for her Department to lay the Committee on Climate Change report on Compatibility of Onshore Petroleum with meeting UK carbon budgets before Parliament.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department has received the Committee on Climate Change report. We are considering the report and will lay it before Parliament with our response in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2016 to Question 38382, whether the European Commission’s proposal of 10 June 2016 on ratification of the Paris Agreement has changed the Government’s timeline for UK ratification of that agreement.

Amber Rudd

The UK is committed to ratifying the Paris Agreement together with the EU and Member States as soon as possible. The Commission’s proposal for a Council Decision on the EU’s ratification of the Paris Agreement is therefore a positive step forward.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of whether it will be necessary to bring forward new (a) primary or (b) secondary legislation to implement the UK’s obligations under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Mr Nick Hurd

No immediate changes are needed to the UK’s legislation on climate change in order to implement our obligations under the Paris Agreement. The UK is already playing its part in delivering the Agreement through its Climate Change Act 2008. The Committee on Climate Change has said that it will report in the Autumn on the future implications of Paris for the UK. We shall want to consider carefully the CCC’s recommendations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-09-15.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority are adequately ensuring that companies disclose the financial risk to their company associated with climate change.

Simon Kirby

Climate change is not only a huge threat to our natural environment, but to our economic prosperity too. The private sector’s involvement is crucial if we are to be successful in reaching the ambitious targets agreed in Paris last year. The UK government and regulators are together at the forefront of engaging with the private sector to address this pressing issue:

• The Prudential Regulation Authority’s pioneering report on the impact of climate change on the UK insurance sector last year kick-started the global debate around climate-related financial risks.

• The Bank of England is leading global efforts to develop the international framework for green finance as co-chair of the G20 Green Finance Study Group.

• Governor Carney’s speech in Berlin last week stressed the importance of disclosure in addressing climate-related financial risks.

The Financial Stability Board, chaired by Governor Carney, set up an industry-led Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures in late 2015, under the leadership of Michael Bloomberg. The Task Force is developing recommendations for voluntary, consistent, comparable, reliable and clear disclosures around climate-related financial risks for companies to provide information to investors, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders. The Task Force published its initial report in April, and will publish a final report in early 2017. The Government looks forward to the publication of the Task Force’s report.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to provide funding for demand-side-response projects in the next Contracts for Difference allocation round.

Andrea Leadsom

No. Demand-side-response projects are not eligible for the CfD. They are supported through the Capacity Market. Details are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/electricity-market-reform-capacity-market

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions she had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential effect of discontinuing funding for the Climate Local programme on the likely level of local authorities’ contributions to delivering the UK’s emissions reductions targets.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department continues to work closely with Local Authorities, LEPs and other local decision makers to support their hard work in reducing local emissions.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a variety of subjects but has not specifically discussed Climate Local with my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-05-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when her Department plans to lay the Committee on Climate Change report on Compatibility of Onshore Petroleum with meeting UK carbon budgets and its response before Parliament.

Andrea Leadsom

The Department has received the Committee on Climate Change report. We are considering the report and will lay it before Parliament with our response in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-06-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether she plans to respond to the letter of 3 June 2016, from offshore wind companies to EU energy ministers in the June EU Energy Council.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government has already set out long term visibility and certainty for the offshore wind industry in the UK, which is the largest market in the world.

In November last year, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that the UK could support up to 10GW of new offshore wind in the 2020s subject to costs continuing to fall. In Budget 2016 the Government announced that it will auction Contracts for Difference of up to £730 million this Parliament for up to 4GW of offshore wind and other less established renewables, with a first auction of £290 million. Support for offshore wind will be capped initially at £105/MWh (in 2011-12 prices), falling to £85/MWh for projects commissioning by 2026.