Tag: Barry Gardiner

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.

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, whether the ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change in the UK will follow the procedure for an EU external treaty.

Mr Nick Hurd

The UK remains firmly committed to the Paris Agreement and to ratifying the Agreement as soon as possible. Until we leave, the UK will remain a full member of the EU, with all of the rights and obligations this entails.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2016-09-14.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Interministerial Group on Clean Growth plans to continue to meet.

Ben Gummer

Clean growth continues to be a priority for this Government. The full list of Interministerial Groups is currently being finalised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Gardiner on 2015-11-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are engaged on work related to climate change in (a) posts around the world and (b) London.

James Duddridge

a) As of 1 August 2015 (last available figures for overseas posts) 85.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff resource was spent on climate change/low carbon economy/energy security issues in 16 priority posts overseas supported by an additional 17 FTE staff in seven other G7 and multilateral posts.
b) As at 20 November 2015 16 FTE staff in London work directly on climate change issues.

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 energy efficiency projects in the next Contracts for Difference allocation round.

Andrea Leadsom

No. The next CfD allocation round in late 2016, is for ‘less established’ technologies (Pot 2) only.

There are a number of schemes operated by central and local government, and by the devolved administrations, which support energy efficiency measures for both domestic and non-domestic consumers. Information on these can be obtained from the Energy Saving Trust:

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

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