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  • Jesse Norman – 2022 Speech on Blackpool Airport

    Jesse Norman – 2022 Speech on Blackpool Airport

    The speech made by Jesse Norman, the Minister of State at the Department for Transport, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons on 6 December 2022.

    It is a delight to see you in the Chair, Mr Gray. I am also delighted to respond to the very good speech and useful interventions made by my hon. Friends the Members for Fylde (Mark Menzies), for Witney (Robert Courts) and for Blackpool South (Scott Benton). I am a man with a family background in general aviation. Many years ago, I got a private pilot licence, and my uncle designed the Britten-Norman Islander. I do not know whether Members recall the moment in the James Bond film “Spectre” when the plane is flying along and gets its wings knocked off and goes skiing. That was a Britten-Norman Islander designed by my uncle, so we have a certain amount of traction in this field, and a certain sympathy for the issues raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde.

    Let me be clear that within the Department for Transport we recognise the importance of Blackpool airport to the region. We also recognise it as the centre of the Blackpool airport enterprise zone, set up as a hub for business, medevac, flying schools and general aviation. I note that this is the second debate that we have had this year on this topic, or a related topic. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool South for his earlier debate, which I note that my hon. Friend the Member for Witney responded to very ably as the Minister. There is a certain circularity here, but there is also a sense of energy and purpose that all three of my hon. Friends have rightly brought to the issue. I thank them very much for what they have said.

    As my hon. Friends have been at pains to emphasise, the UK enjoys what is in many ways a world-leading competitive commercial aviation sector, with airports and airlines operating and investing to attract passengers and respond to demand. Airports themselves have a key role to play as part of the sector. Where opportunities for growth exist, local partners can come together with the industry to develop the business case for new commercial flights. My hon. Friend the Member for Fylde rightly focused on the key goals of commercial development and sustainability of the airport, levelling up, and Union integration.

    It is for airports, local authorities, local enterprise partnerships, local businesses and other stakeholders to try to come together to build the case for commercial flights and work with airline partners to create new connections for their communities. Airlines will ultimately determine the routes they operate based on their own assessment of commercial viability. As my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde said, it is notable that Blackpool has a proud history of innovation in this area as well as a historically thriving tourism industry. The airport was used as recently as 15 or so years ago—perhaps even less. We need to consider the question of the commercial development of the airport in the context of the wider processes of levelling up and regeneration.

    As hon. Members will know, air travel is provided almost entirely by a competitive market. There is no bespoke funding or support from Government for new routes, but there is support for domestic connectivity. The 50% reduction in domestic air passenger duty was designed to provide that support. It was part of a package of air passenger duty reforms. There was a new reduced domestic band to support regional connectivity and a new ultra-long-haul band to align air passenger duty more closely with environmental objectives. That begins from April next year.

    The question of a targeted APD is very interesting. I have no doubt, speaking as a former Treasury Minister in part, that the thought of a hypothecated or targeted APD will cause severe tremors and, dare I say, nervous palpitations within the Treasury—for many understandable and obvious reasons. As Ernie Bevin once said in a different context,

    “Open up that Pandora’s box, you never know what Trojan horses will jump out.”

    Robert Courts

    The Minister makes a good point. The 50% APD cut was welcome, but my point is about what the Department calls open PSOs. Those are not a further Treasury subsidy, but simply the removal of APD on routes that are non-operational—where the Treasury is getting no revenue or marginal revenue. There is a business growth opportunity there. That is what I am asking him to push the Treasury on, though I appreciate it is not in his gift.

    Jesse Norman

    That clarification is very helpful. There is a way of thinking with open PSOs that is not just tied to APD, but I will come back to the question of PSOs in general.

    We have some support for administered connectivity through domestic APD. We are continuing to explore alternative routes and are seeing whether there are other ways to address this. In the context of PSOs, I will lay a slightly different emphasis from my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde. It is important to recognise that the PSO policy as it presently is set up is designed to support not new flight—that is the question being raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Witney—but routes that have previously been operated commercially or are now at risk of being lost.

    The question of new routes is somewhat different. The routes that are funded at the moment, at least across the UK, are modest. There are three public service obligations: from Londonderry/Derry to Stansted, Newquay to London Gatwick, and Dundee to London City. An additional 17 PSOs connect the highlands and islands of Scotland, which are wholly within the borders of Scotland. The administration and funding of those, by agreement with the Department for Transport, is the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

    We operate within a context of existing policy. To the point about the stance of the local authority, as raised by colleagues, it is important to say that my officials have so far received no requests from the local authority to discuss the need for any PSO routes from Blackpool airport—I will leave local colleagues to decide how they want to interpret that. Of course, if there was going to be PSO support, it would have to be initiated and agreed with the local authority, and the fact that we have heard nothing from them is not helpful to the cause being promoted.

    As I say, PSOs are considered in the context of commercial services that either are at risk of being lost or have recently—generally speaking, within the past two years—been lost. The loss referenced by my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde goes outside that remit and therefore does not fit within the existing policy. If and when it did apply, which would undoubtedly be part of the same process as the consideration of any new routes in the future, which I will come on to shortly, it would be through a business case, warmly and widely agreed locally, in which the local authority would play a leading role. That is very important. Hon. Friends will be aware that levelling up works effectively only when everyone is lined up in the same way. When business, the local authority, local Members of Parliament and other key stakeholders are so lined up, it can be enormously effective and successful.

    As a reminder to all, eligible routes should be ones in which there are historically no viable alternative modes of travel and where it is deemed and demonstrated to be vital to the social and economic development of the region.

    It is important to say that if and when a PSO is granted under the current policy, there must then be a procurement exercise to find an airline, which, in turn, needs to be a full and open tender for selection. The subsidy provided is based on the airline’s operating losses on that route, which it must submit as part of a tender bid. It is a very context-dependent decision. Of course, those things would be independently assessed, as any new approach would have to decide how, where there had not been a prior existing commercial flight, a non-distortive method of subsidy and support could be provided.

    Let me pick up a couple of points relating to the Union connectivity review that were rightly raised by colleagues. As hon. Members will recall, in November 2021, Sir Peter Hendy published an independent review designed to explore how improvements to transport connectivity between Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England could boost not just economic growth but access to opportunities, everyday connection and social integration. The review identified the key importance of airports and air connectivity by providing connectivity both into London and in and between peripheral regions, which gets to the points raised by colleagues today.

    As hon. Members might imagine, the Government are considering our response to the Union connectivity review, and my colleague Baroness Vere leads on the issue of aviation. Our response will be Department-wide, because it is a multimodal strategic review in nature. As part of that, we are exploring further opportunities to utilise PSOs in order to support regional connectivity and the levelling-up agenda.

    My officials have already been actively considering how airport slots are allocated in the UK. Now that the UK has left the EU, there is an opportunity for the Government to legislate to improve the slots system to ensure it provides the connectivity that UK passengers need. That can be expected to have knock-on effects on economic growth around the country.

    Regional airports play an important role in levelling up. It is important to recognise that that is not just about the foundation of the wider UK aviation sector; it is also about the business opportunities that can be directly generated as a result of the supply chains and other enterprise engagement. Members will recall that the Government published a strategy on the future of aviation, “Flightpath to the future”, which sets out a vision for the sector over the next 10 years. It includes not just connectivity, which we have discussed, but workforce, skills, innovation and decarbonisation.

    We expect a naturally low-carbon approach to the regeneration of any new airports for all the reasons my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde set out. That is a potential source of advantage if it is properly handled. It is our goal that UK domestic flights should be net zero by 2040, and airport operations, which are an important potential ancillary contributor to carbon emissions, should be zero emission by 2040. We are providing significant support for that, not just for sustainable aviation fuels but for the commercialisation of those plants and other research and development co-investment —in particular, through the Aerospace Technology Institute. Alongside that, the levelling-up agenda, jet zero and net zero provide the context within which there can be diversification, a deepening and broadening, and a very significant boost to the activity conducted in and around airports.

    I want to give my hon. Friend a moment to respond—

    James Gray (in the Chair)

    No, you don’t. Not in a half-hour debate.

    Jesse Norman

    In any case, I will not abuse the privilege by speaking further. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde very much for his comments, and I thank my hon. Friends the Members for Witney and for Blackpool South for their interventions and the interest they have shown in this issue.

  • Mark Menzies – 2022 Speech on Blackpool Airport

    Mark Menzies – 2022 Speech on Blackpool Airport

    The speech made by Mark Menzies, the Conservative MP for Fylde, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    I beg to move,

    That this House has considered public service obligation funding and Blackpool Airport.

    As always, it is a privilege to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. Blackpool airport has a long and proud history—from hosting the UK’s first official public flying meeting to playing its part in the war effort as RAF Squires Gate. During peacetime, the airport’s focus turned to private and commercial aviation. The arrival of low-cost air travel in the early 2000s saw the airport truly take off and resulted in a fivefold increase in passenger numbers, which peaked at more than 500,000 in the late noughties.

    Changes in ownership and contractual issues with airlines triggered a period of decline. Passenger numbers halved from the peak of 500,000 in 2014, and that year saw the last commercial flights from the airport. Since then, I have fought to preserve the site’s viability for scheduled passenger flights, including by opposing development that would have left the airport with a shortened runway. The airport is now owned by Blackpool Council, which has brought much-needed stability and security. I share the ambition of the airport team to use the Government’s enterprise zone investment to make the most of the site. That includes exploring how scheduled passenger flights can return.

    In June this year, I welcomed the then Prime Minister to Blackpool airport, along with my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool South (Scott Benton). Prior to that, in March, I hosted a visit from the then Transport Secretary, who is now the Business Secretary. Most recently, the Northern Ireland Secretary visited the airport. On all three occasions, we highlighted the potential of Blackpool airport and discussed the possibility of kick-starting the revival of passenger flights. Nobody is expecting the immediate return of major airlines flying holidaymakers to the Costas, but there are opportunities to explore historic and important connections that will not only greatly benefit Blackpool but improve transport links between the regions of the United Kingdom.

    Public service obligation routes are connections to which the Government provide substantial subsidies that open up routes that would otherwise not be commercially viable. Current UK Government rules dictate that PSO flights must be between London and a regional airport. That does not apply to devolved Governments, and Scotland has been particularly effective at using PSOs to support connections between the central belt, highlands and islands. I checked this morning and found that Blackpool airport is slightly more than an hour’s drive from Manchester and Liverpool airports, and therefore qualifies for PSO flights to London.

    PSO flights would make it easier for people in Lancashire to travel for business, leisure or onward connections and would support the Government in delivering on the levelling-up promise to coastal communities, such as those I serve in Fylde. However, this must be about more than just improving access to London. The approach of focusing solely on London is out of tune with the Government’s commitment to levelling up and the future of our Union. Airports in London and the south-east have long struggled with runway capacity.

    I want the PSO rules to change to allow a shift in emphasis to connecting our nations and regions. Indeed, that idea is supported by Sir Peter Hendy, who lists it among his recommendations in the Government’s Union connectivity review. As Sir Peter points out in the review, new regional PSO routes would likely be cost-neutral to the Treasury. This opportunity to boost regional growth, support levelling up and bolster links within the Union should not be missed.

    Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)

    My hon. Friend is making extremely powerful points. The House will know that I was Aviation Minister until the summer, and I was lucky enough to visit his outstanding airport and meet the energetic team there. I can see how important it is to his area.

    He mentioned a couple of points that also have national importance, particularly that of PSO policy connecting not just with London but between regions. PSOs traditionally rely on subsidy—

    James Gray (in the Chair)

    Order. Interventions must be brief.

    Robert Courts

    I beg your pardon, Mr Gray. Has my hon. Friend considered the role that targeted air passenger duty relief—not a direct subsidy, but targeted APD relief —could play on routes that are non-operational or marginal?

    Mark Menzies

    I thank the former Minister for his intervention; he brings some important material to the debate. I hope the Minister will consider that sort of targeted APD relief in his response. It opens up another way to support the recommencement of flights from Blackpool to airports around the United Kingdom, which is incredibly important.

    I return to the point I was making. As Sir Peter points out in his review, new regional PSO routes would likely be cost-neutral to the Treasury. For example, Blackpool Airport has historic links to Northern Ireland, with a route to Belfast the last route to run commercially from the airport; it ended only because of contractual and licensing issues with the operation.

    Blackpool has numerous advantages over alternatives in the north-west, being cheaper to operate from than Manchester and Liverpool. Given its proximity to the airport enterprise zone in my constituency and Blackpool town centre, there is a real possibility of desk-to-desk travel time of little over an hour and half for Anglo-Irish business. PSO routes to places such as Belfast and Londonderry could potentially be the first steps towards greater regional connectivity to places such as Scotland, and in particular the central belt, which has strong cultural and economic ties to Blackpool.

    Scott Benton (Blackpool South) (Con)

    My hon. Friend has set out a powerful case for reforming public service obligation routes. I am sure he would agree that the Government have a good record on regional aviation so far, not just with the cut to air passenger duty but with the measures in the 10-point aviation plan and the regional connectivity review. However, Blackpool Airport is owned and run by Labour-run Blackpool Council. Does my hon. Friend agree that the council must do far more to look for opportunities to develop the airport and regional flights?

    Mark Menzies

    My hon. Friend makes an important point, in that the airport is owned and run by the council. Much of that I welcome, because under the previous private ownership there was a danger of that asset being run into the ground and developed for non-airport-related purposes. That would have been of great concern to me. There is an opportunity now for the Government to work in conjunction with the council to raise the ambition of the airport owners—the council—to seek ways to stimulate and bring forward flights from the airport. I am sure my hon. Friend and I will work with all parties to try to secure that.

    Teesside Airport is a possible destination and an inspiration for what a future Blackpool Airport might look like. I believe the PSOs can be a vital catalyst and a first step towards the return of flights from Blackpool, ultimately to continental Europe. Importantly, those opportunities may not be seen as contrary to environmental commitments. Just last week, easyJet and Rolls-Royce trialled the first jet engine powered by hydrogen, providing a glimpse of a lower-carbon future. Blackpool Airport has ambitions to be a leader in sustainable short-haul aviation, be that through electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft or innovation through new low-carbon fuels. The airport is keen to include electric charging and hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in its redevelopment plans.

    Regional airports, such as Belfast and Londonderry, are within the range of the generation of electrical aircraft in development. Currently, the opportunity to introduce those on a commercial basis is very much on the horizon. As we look to a low-carbon future, Blackpool provides a fantastic opportunity to support and showcase the development of a clean, green short-haul flight technology.

    Furthermore, as Lancashire continues to grow as a green energy hub, with its strategic location on Britain’s energy coast for wind and tidal power, and its position in the north-west nuclear arc, we can use the flights to connect other areas, leading to the technologies of the future. There are 41,000 workers in the energy and environment sector in Lancashire. Those industries have a significant footprint for Scotland and the north-east of England and will continue to grow in future decades. The Fylde coast is already training the next generation of engineers in those industries at the renowned Blackpool energy college which, incidentally, is located on the site of the former terminal building.

    Beyond the Fylde and Blackpool, the airport’s location gives it great onward connections to Lancashire and the wider north-west, as it is just minutes from the M55. The south Fylde line stops several hundred metres away, giving quick access to Lytham St Annes and Kirkham in my constituency, as well as onwards to Blackpool and Preston, the latter providing connections on to local Lancashire services, the west coast main line, and the future High Speed 2.

    Blackpool airport is a fantastic asset for Lancashire, with potential to support its manufacturing and energy sectors, as well as its fantastic tourism sector. Its closure to commercial flights remains a key issue locally, and residents the length and breadth of the Fylde coast continue to push for their return. The team at the airport have the drive and vision to get this off the ground. They are eager to make a success of the airport, embracing new low-carbon technologies and the opportunities that they present. An initial terminal building may not need to be large—just sufficient to get passengers checked in and safely on to their flights, as part of a longer-term vision to add further routes and investment to the airport’s infrastructure. We have seen that work elsewhere, and it can work again at Blackpool airport.

    Levelling up, strengthening our Union and the drive for net zero are at the very heart of the Government’s mission. With a little help to get things off the ground, Blackpool airport can support all three objectives. All that is required are small tweaks to the rules surrounding PSOs, combined with relatively minor investments and alternative support, such as targeted relief on air passenger duty for routes from small regional airports—again, estimated to be cost-neutral to the Treasury. This is a good opportunity, and we should not pass it up. I know that the Minister will recognise that, and I hope that he will take the steps required to reinvigorate Blackpool airport.

  • Graham Stuart – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Graham Stuart – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Graham Stuart, the Minister for Energy and Climate, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) on securing the debate and thank all right hon. and hon. Members for their participation.

    My first reflection, having heard the tenor of the debate and the contributions so far, is that I have a bit of an uphill struggle to the persuade people in Westminster Hall of my case. It was noticeable in the contribution of the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr Whitehead), given in his classically well-informed but downbeat style, that the position of His Majesty’s Opposition is to support the use of biomass. They think it does have a role, although the hon. Gentleman caveated that by saying that it was “not a large” contribution, which in the overall scheme of our energy use perhaps leaves a lot of unanswered questions. However, I welcome the fact that he said that.

    My hon. Friend the Member for North Devon raised important questions about biomass sustainability. I welcome the opportunity to clarify both the type of material and the stringent requirements we have in place to ensure that we support the sustainable use of this valuable resource. Using sustainable biomass in energy generation in the UK’s power sector has helped to reduce the use of fossil fuels. In 2021, biomass made up 12.9% of total electricity generation and the flexible generation provided by biomass technologies helps to support and stabilise the grid. It is not comparable with renewables, which by their very nature are not dispatchable and available as and when they are required—unlike biomass.

    The use of wood pellets for bioenergy production has attracted a lot of interest and it is right that operations are closely scrutinised. However, there are claims against wood pellet use for bioenergy from forests that misrepresent on-the-ground forestry practices. That is short-sighted and ignores the environmental and social benefits of sustainable forest practices and the role that forest-derived biomass plays in supporting them.

    Policy decisions need to be based on facts and rigorous evidence gathering, not on inaccuracies and misconceptions. The use of biomass from sustainably managed forests in well supported by evidence and experts such as the International Energy Agency, which is the global authority on energy, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which I would have thought that Members present would regard as being particularly well placed to make judgments on the balances that need to be struck in coming up with policy, yet the tenor of today’s debate is to dismiss these global experts and the different organisations that have looked at this issue extensively and come to the conclusion that the use of biomass is sustainable and right.

    Selaine Saxby rose—

    Barry Gardiner rose—

    Graham Stuart

    I will make a little more progress, if I may.

    It is important to remember that wood used for bioenergy is not high-quality and high-value timber. Although it has been said repeatedly in the debate that wood used for bioenergy diverts material away from other uses, the opposite is true. In response to my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Derek Thomas), who comes from the construction industry, the value of timber for other uses is much higher than the value of timber used for waste, so there is no economic rationale for using it.

    Wood pellets and Drax purchases do not compete, because they do not offer the same financial return. The idea—it has obviously been seeded, taken root and taken off, because I hear it again and again—that people are, in a sinister way, diverting excellent wood from uses for which they would get paid a lot more money to a use for which they get paid a lot less has spread, and it has become a conspiracy. In fact, bioenergy use does the opposite: it supports sustainable forestry. It supports the very forests that can supply wood panelling and construction material. We can ensure that it is part and parcel of delivering a stronger forestry industry around the world, and that we can have more wooden-constructed homes, as my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives suggested we should have.

    Barry Gardiner

    I am sorry to interrupt the Minister in his rhetorical flow, but does he accept that two of the licences that Drax has utilised in British Colombia were for areas of primary forest that have been destroyed? Those areas—in one case, more than one square mile of primary forest—have been clear-felled, and Drax has denied it.

    Graham Stuart

    I will write to the hon. Gentleman on that specific issue, as it is right that I give him a proper answer. On investigation, we do not find that the allegations that “Panorama” made are fundamentally sustained. The general process involves thinnings. Every managed forest has to be thinned in order to be sustainably managed, and thinnings sometimes include whole trees—that is the nature of forest management. If we do not do it, it does not have the desired effect. It is worth saying again to my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon that young, vigorous stands grow and sequester carbon at maximum speed. As stands get older, the tree canopy closes and individual trees begin to die off from self-thinning and other causes. Very old forest stands can reach a carbon-neutral equilibrium, whereby trees die and decay at approximately the same rate as they grow back.

    It is worth saying that before thinnings were used for bioenergy and turned into pellets, they were typically burned to get rid of them. The idea that the use of biomass is taking away fundamental primary forest, which is being cut down even though there are better uses for it, is false, but I will write to the hon. Member for Brent North (Barry Gardiner) about the specifics of that. It is always possible that there are exceptions, but Canada and the United States have really strong forest management and sustainability practices, regulations and laws. We have looked closely at the issue, and if they wish to keep this business going and manage the crops of these forests, they have every incentive to maintain them.

    I say to my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon that we could do with bringing in some experts, and I will hold a meeting. Let us have the scientists in and discuss some of this stuff—it would be an opportunity to talk about it further.

    Selaine Saxby

    I thank the Minister for giving way on this point, although I am very disappointed by the stance he is taking. Will he invite the 600 scientists who wrote to the Prime Minister earlier this week with their very detailed analysis? The professors with whom many of us in this room have spent much time understand that the science has evolved and that some of the information we used back in 2014 is no longer correct. We need to re-evaluate things; we cannot just get stuck on what we used to do in the past.

    Graham Stuart

    I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. We must not get stuck in the past, and we need to have a thorough and proper examination of the issues. That is why, as one small contribution to that, bringing in the Government experts and the people we are listening to would be a useful way to carry on with this and make sure that we are making the right judgments overall. The last thing we want to do is get this wrong. As successive Members have said, there is a substantial subsidy involved for a start, and we want to ensure that whatever we are doing is the most sustainable, both economically and environmentally, for the good of the country. It is well worth having that conversation.

    Forest sites are harvested to produce fibre for multiple products, such as timber, plywood and oriented strand board, among others. Those industries invariably pay more for the fibre. Wood pellets for bioenergy make up only a small portion of a harvest—notwithstanding the talk of 27 million trees—and help to maximise the benefit of each harvest. It is, effectively, a harvest—an energy crop, and a by-product energy crop of the main product, which is timber produced for other uses.

    Material that is not wanted by sawmills can be used when it does not have a suitable destination in the sourcing regions—for example, when there is a lack of local pulp and paper mills or other suitable industries. The destination of lower-quality material such as low-grade roundwood that is unsuitable for use in sawmills depends on the types of industry present around the sourcing area. If there is a pulp or paper mill nearby or a wood panel producer, material suitable for use in those industries is taken there, as those end users pay more for the fibre than wood pellet producers do. It is simply not economical for the harvester to sell those materials to the pellet mill if other, higher-paying industries are present.

    Barry Gardiner rose—

    Graham Stuart

    I give way, for the last time, I think.

    Barry Gardiner

    The Minister has been generous in giving way, and I appreciate that. Will he address an issue that many Members have raised, which is the payback period and the cycles not being short enough to achieve the emissions reductions in the timeframe that the climate will allow?

    Graham Stuart

    The hon. Gentleman, as so often, has put his finger on the central point. We cannot do this by looking at an individual tree. We look at the whole forest and different parts of it, which are of different ages. That forest is harvested in an ordered way. We need to look at the whole forest, and as long as there is replanting—that is precisely what the sustainability criteria are about, and those are applied in Canada, America and elsewhere—and the overall carbon sequestration is maintained, and indeed over time preferably increased, there are no emissions, effectively.

    Let me return to the point source emissions at Drax and say that that is why we do not count them. As long as the overall picture is in balance—this is only a by-product of the energy crop and of the main use, which is for timber—we can see, straightforwardly, that it is right not to view that as having emissions. That is what the policies are in place to try to ensure.

    I must allow two minutes for my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon, and I look forward to a further discussion of the matter. As has been said, I have been in the job for only a relatively short time, and, as Members can tell, I am seized of a certain view, but I am certainly interested—

    Sammy Wilson

    So was a previous Minister.

    Graham Stuart

    We have had those quotes, which might or might not have been accurate. My right hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Kwasi Kwarteng) did then say that he fully supported Drax and the policy of the Government. He was not a junior Minister; he was Secretary of State, so if he had a different view he could have said so. I do not suppose he was too constrained.

    Anyway, I look forward to further examination of the issue, but I should give the floor to my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon.

    Selaine Saxby

    I thank you, Mr Gray, for chairing the debate, and my colleagues for their contributions. I suspect we will return to the issue, and I would be happy to join the Minister in doing so.

    As we move through the transition to net zero, it is vital that we understand that things are going to change, that the science has changed and that we are moving forward. When people first burned coal, they did not understand the damage they were doing to the planet, and I think the same is true for wood pellets. In 1959, plastic bags were invented to stop us cutting down trees to make paper bags, and we recognise now that that probably was not the right decision.

    I hope that as the Minister reviews the matter and considers the release of his biomass strategy, he will find those same advisers who persuaded the former Secretary of State that importing trees to burn is not a sustainable practice in view of our intention to get to net zero by 2050. On the current path, we are simply not going to achieve that.

  • Alan Whitehead – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    Alan Whitehead – 2022 Speech on Burning Trees for Energy Generation

    The speech made by Alan Whitehead, the Labour MP for Southampton Test, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 6 December 2022.

    I have listened very carefully to the debate and I congratulate the hon. Member for North Devon (Selaine Saxby) on securing it.

    Overall, we have had a thoughtful debate about the difficult issues facing UK energy production, including what sources it is right or wrong to use, subsidies that might be put in place, and arrangements for the production of comparatively low-carbon energy that could provide power more cheaply and efficiently, as well as, most importantly, on a lower carbon basis.

    As the hon. Member for Mid Derbyshire (Mrs Latham) mentioned, undoubtedly a while ago biomass was thought to be a simple proposition for power production that was fine in terms of the overall carbon cycle: it uses trees that grow again, thus balancing the CO2 put into the atmosphere through burning. Actually, the same is true of gas power, for example, only carbon has been sequestered in the ground over many millions of years and now we are putting it back into the atmosphere. It is all about cycles and the carbon replacement period, which is an important initial point to consider. The debate has moved on considerably, because people are thinking carefully about what those cycles mean for carbon replacement.

    We need to question if it is ever right to use thermal means to produce power. We currently have 200 biomass generators in the UK, producing 88% of UK power. In addition, whether or not we regard burning wood waste and other materials for power as unacceptable, we have 54 energy and waste plants across the country that produce some power, half of which produce a lot of heat that can be used for district heating purposes. They ought to come into the carbon balance equation that we are trying to achieve.

    We have heard today an incontrovertible point: taking whole trees, burning them for power and transporting the product of those trees across large parts of the world is clearly not the best use for them. That is particularly the case if those whole trees have not been grown in farmed or managed forests but in primeval ones, where they have captured carbon for many centuries, and are being clear felled and used to fill a hole in energy production.

    Barry Gardiner

    Would my hon. Friend also accept the distinction that a managed forest for production timber and biomass has nowhere near the biodiversity that there is in the primary forests that we have been talking about? It is a matter that we cannot look at simply in terms of carbon emissions; we have to look at it in terms of wider sustainability and the biodiversity of species.

    Dr Whitehead

    Yes, indeed, we need to take careful account of the points my hon. Friend has made about wider biodiversity issues. However, we have sources of material—starting with the idea of managed forests, under certain circumstances, or energy crops, under other circumstances—that are much shorter in their use and carbon sequestration, such as miscanthus and short-rotation coppicing of willow. Those can be produced with a very short time of burning and resequestration. However, as my hon. Friend has said, there may be other environmental consequences attached to the practice.

    Wera Hobhouse

    Is it not the outcome of today’s debate that burning wood or biomass is neither low in carbon nor a renewable source of energy—so why are we still subsiding the industry?

    Dr Whitehead

    That was the case I was trying to pick apart. Is it right that we should ever burn anything for power? If we burn some things for power, what are the circumstances under which we burn them and what are the constraints we have to put on their burning? One of the issues is just how much we pay for that burning. If there are better uses for the subsidies we might put towards that burning, then we should undertake those instead. We need to be very mean in terms of the resource we put into subsidies so that we get the best outcome for those subsidies.

    We cannot draw an overall conclusion today about the wide issue of what is waste, whether it is appropriate to burn it under any circumstances and how we manage that waste stream. Clearly, with whole forests—even if they are managed—the production of timber that goes into houses and buildings is a much better way of sequestering carbon from that timber than burning it. Waste material, on the other hand, does not have the same uses, although the hon. Member for North Devon mentioned the wood panelling industry, where there are certain uses for roundwood and other timber that can sequester carbon in a better way than burning it. However, we still have the issue of whether there is a role at all for biomass burning and waste burning in future.

    We have also had a discussion about CCS, on the back of burning wood, residual material and waste. That applies to energy from waste just as it does to biomass use. Of course, the Climate Change Committee is quite keen on BECCS. The idea is that the whole process can become net negative as far as contributions to net zero are concerned, and we are producing a net negative contribution to the overall carbon balance, providing that CCS works well and sequesters as much carbon as it is supposed to.

    Sammy Wilson

    This is being put forward as another way of trying to deal with the unfortunate consequences of the CO2 emissions from the Drax station. First, carbon capture and storage is expensive. Secondly, it would use about a third of the power that is produced to capture the gas.

    Dr Whitehead

    This underpins just how wide this debate really is and what we need to think about: for example, is CCS a reasonable way to go forward in sequestering emissions over the long period and how much is that going to cost overall in subsidies? My conclusion is that, yes, there is a role for biomass and for energy from waste, with the proper constraints and the proper circumstances under which we provide that power. It has a role, but not a large role. On the other hand, we need every source of low and lowish carbon energy that we can get at the moment, so we need it to make a contribution, but not a large one, to our overall power arrangements.

    I look forward to the rather delayed biomass strategy that the Government are about to publish, which perhaps will give us a much better understanding of these issues as they combine together. I hope the Minister will give us a foretaste of what that biomass strategy will look like so that we can move this debate forward.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (20/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (20/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 20 November 2022.

    Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health!

    I briefly report on the day, which started very early today, it was very active, and my schedule for this day is not yet exhausted.

    I just held another meeting of the Staff. The main issues are the front. The provision of our troops, the situation in particular sections of the front line and that we are planning to increase the number of Ukrainian flags in the cities in the south and east of the country.

    The battles in Donetsk region were discussed separately. Reports were presented. We are doing everything to help our heroes withstand Russian attacks.

    Of course, special attention was paid to energy.

    The composition of the participants of the Staff meeting is traditional. The Commander-in-Chief, commanders and all who work for our defense.

    An extremely important visit to Ukraine took place today – the visit of the new British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. A very meaningful visit. We managed to discuss all the key issues of our relations. There will be new results for both our countries – that’s for sure.

    Thank you, Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister, for your willingness to defend freedom even more strongly with us. We also have some very necessary decisions – we agreed on them today.

    As always, today I received reports on restoration work in the energy sector.

    We are working throughout the country to stabilize the situation.

    The most problems with electricity are in the city of Kyiv and Kyiv region, the city of Odesa and Odesa region, the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region. Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and other regions – energy workers are doing everything possible to give people a normal life.

    Kherson – we are restoring transport connections. There is the first train from Kyiv. We create new opportunities for people every day.

    We are preparing important international events – they will be soon. We will provide everything that is needed for our protection.

    We involve everyone who can be involved in supporting our state.

    Thank you to everyone who works for Ukraine!

    Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!

    Thanks to everyone in the world who helps!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (19/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (19/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 19 November 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    All day long, the energy staff worked to restore the normal technical possibility of electricity supply, as a result today there are already significantly fewer emergency shutdowns.

    As of the evening, in most regions where shutdowns continue, stabilization hourly schedules were in effect. Emergency shutdowns were used to a greater extent in the Odesa region and Kyiv.

    The difficult situation with energy supply persists in a total of 17 regions and in the capital. Kyiv region and Kyiv, it’s very difficult in the Odesa region, and also the Vinnytsia region and Ternopil region.

    Special “Points of Invincibility” were opened in Kherson today. The first two points. There will be more.

    While electricity is restored in the city, people can charge their phones, stay warm, drink tea and get help. We have provided communication service there, there are “Starlinks”, etc.

    We know that it is very difficult for people, because the occupiers destroyed everything before fleeing. But we will connect everything, restore everything.

    Vice-President of the European Commission Dombrovskis was in Kyiv today. We talked with him, in particular, about energy. Financial cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, the financing needs of our country until the end of the year and in the next year were also discussed in detail.

    This year, we expect two tranches of macro-financial aid – EUR 2.5 billion in November and EUR 0.5 billion in early December.

    We also discussed new sanctions against Russia, which may be introduced at the European level.

    I spoke today with the student community of Ireland – a country that supports us fundamentally. Although it is a neutral country militarily, Ireland strongly defends European values and helps us politically and humanitarianly.

    I made two requests to the Irish. The first is to promote at the pan-European level the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia. The second is to help us spread the truth about the events in Ukraine and about Russian terror.

    I also addressed the participants of the security forum in Halifax, Canada, which is one of the world’s security forums. Once again, I presented the Ukrainian peace formula and invited Canada and our other partners to choose for themselves a component of the peace formula in which they can show their leadership as much as possible.

    This is the point of the way we present our proposals for restoring peace.

    We have broken them down into elements – what Russian aggression consists of. And we do everything to neutralize each of these elements and to neutralize the aggressor because of it.

    Every day, I receive very positive feedback from the world about this approach of ours – major leaders support Ukrainian constructiveness. And I believe that we will be able to implement our peace formula.

    The fierce fighting in the Donetsk region continues to this day, there has been no alleviation of hostilities or respite. About a hundred Russian attacks were repelled in the Donetsk region only yesterday. All our warriors who are holding out in Donbas are true heroes.

    Today, I would like to pay particular attention to the border guards of the Kharkiv and Sumy detachments, who are currently operating in the Donetsk region. Their mortars help a lot, giving the invaders no rest. Nice job, guys! Thank you!

    I also thank the warriors of the 4th operational brigade of the National Guard, which protects Ukraine in the direction of Bakhmut. Smart initiative and persistence are two things that produce extremely useful results.

    Nowhere on the frontline do we give in to the enemy. We respond everywhere, we hold positions everywhere. We are preparing future successes in certain areas.

    I spoke today with the President of Türkiye Erdoğan. Thanked him for the efforts to extend our grain export initiative.

    We also discussed the details of our new humanitarian initiative Grain from Ukraine. I hope that Türkiye will join its implementation.

    Of course, attention was paid to both security cooperation and energy situation.

    Tomorrow we will have a very active day, not a day off at all. We are expecting news and opportunities for Ukraine. And we are already preparing the appropriate soil for them.

    And today I want to say one more thing – congratulations. Congratulations to all sergeants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on their professional day. Today, many kind words were said both in the army and in society.

    Sergeants are truly the people who ensure real unity and understanding between commanders and soldiers. The sergeant corps is the true backbone of the Army, and I thank all of our sergeants who live up to those words.

    Thank you to each and everyone who is currently serving in our defense forces!

    Thank you to everyone who made the defense of Ukraine a part of their personal destiny!

    Glory to our heroes!

    Eternal memory and honor to those who gave their lives for the freedom of Ukrainians!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (18/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (18/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 18 November 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    Today we have important international results.

    Our export grain initiative has been extended. Despite all the difficulties, despite various manipulations by Russia, we will continue to export agricultural products through our Black Sea ports.

    This is a very specific thing that makes the world see the importance of Ukraine. Since August 1, more than 450 ships have already left the ports of Great Odesa. The total amount of food is 11 million tons. The geography is very broad: Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Lebanon, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Türkiye, as well as the countries of the European Union.

    Tens of millions of people, primarily in African countries, have been saved from starvation, in particular by means of deliveries in the framework of the UN World Food Programme from our ports.

    We also managed to reduce the pressure on the global food market. And this means that food prices are significantly lower than they would be without our food exports.

    We have done everything to expand this work. And I thank all our partners who are helping: the UN and Secretary-General Guterres personally, Türkiye and President Erdoğan personally. Thanks to everyone in our team who is responsible for this direction. This is a truly important result.

    Today, a meeting was held in the Office regarding our Grain from Ukraine initiative. We have the consent of such countries as Germany, Poland, Belgium, Japan, Türkiye and the USA to join the work of the initiative. But these are the countries that have already made up their mind. There will be more participating countries.

    The meaning is very simple and as specific as possible. All the countries of the world, together with Ukraine, can ensure the supply of food for those in the world who suffer the most from food shortages. We will provide more details on how this will work shortly.

    I believe that this Russian aggression should lead the whole world to an obvious conclusion: never again should there be mass famine in the world. If the world works in unity, famine will be defeated.

    A very important decision was adopted today in the Netherlands. There is the first sentence for the murderers who destroyed the Malaysian Boeing in the sky over Donbas in 2014. Three men were sentenced to life imprisonment. And the day will surely come when they will begin to serve this punishment.

    But this decision is not just about three murderers. Russia lied a lot about this catastrophe, but nevertheless the key facts were established. Now the perpetrators have been convicted and the basis is provided to convict the culprits of a higher level, too. Those who bear full personal responsibility for the crime of aggression against Ukraine – the original crime that gave rise to all the others committed by the Russists since 2014.

    This is something without which it is impossible to protect the world from the repetition of such wars as Russian aggression against our state. When all the murderers and torturers are convicted, when their commanders and political “cover” face fair sentences, when Russia compensates for all the damage caused by Russian aggression, it will be a very solid foundation for a lasting peace.

    We have all the possibilities to ensure this. Every Russian war crime, every terrorist attack of theirs will receive its legal response. Today’s decision in The Hague proves it.

    The elimination of the consequences of another missile attack against Ukraine continues all day…

    Again, there are emergency shutdowns in addition to planned, stabilization ones. Currently, more than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity. Most of them are in the Vinnytsia region, Odesa region, Sumy region and Kyiv. We are doing everything to normalize the supply.

    In Dnipro, dozens of people were injured as a result of a missile attack. Everyone is provided with aid.

    In Zaporizhzhia, the clearance of the rubble of a residential building, which was destroyed by Russian shelling at night, continues… The list of the dead includes seven people. Unfortunately, this number may increase.

    Only in the first half of today, our defense forces managed to shoot down six Russian cruise missiles and five Shaheds. Unfortunately, not all of those launched by terrorists.

    We repeat to our partners again and again that only full protection of the Ukrainian sky will protect both Ukraine and Europe from many possible escalations of Russian aggression and will definitely encourage Russia to truly end the war. Not to the kind of propaganda that now sounds from the Kremlin about the alleged readiness for negotiations in order to buy some time and gather forces for a new offensive, but to real peace.

    I would like to thank Finland and Sweden today for the decisions regarding the new defense assistance packages. This is very important. Each such decision of the states makes them co-creators of our victory and future peace.

    Today I signed several decrees on awarding our warriors. 402 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were honored with state awards.

    In total, since February 24, more than 32,000 Ukrainian men and women have been awarded for bravery in battles. 4950 of them – posthumously.

    We must always remember how many people gave their lives to save Ukraine and freedom.

    Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by Russian aggression!

    Glory to all who gain victory for Ukraine!

    Gratitude to everyone who helps us and works for the state!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (17/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (17/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 17 November 2022.

    Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health!

    Today was a long and hard day. And now, in the evening, it seems that the events of the morning happened at least yesterday or the day before yesterday…

    The summit in Indonesia. I took part in today’s work of the leaders.

    Then – another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, discussion in detail. The situation at the front. Also, the military presented all the available data on the missile hitting the territory of Poland. Everyone responsible for liquidating the consequences of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine reported on the recovery work.

    Recovery does not stop for a minute.

    Emergency blackouts and stabilization outages continue in 18 regions and the city of Kyiv. These are millions of consumers. We are doing everything to restore electricity – both generation and supply.

    Another meeting of the “Ramstein” defense group took place. The key issue is the strengthening of our anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense.

    I held negotiations with the vice president of the World Bank, who is responsible for our region. We discussed projects for the reconstruction of our infrastructure and social facilities, the work of the Recovery Fund of our country.

    The total cost of projects discussed today is billions of dollars. This is something that needs to be rebuilt now to guarantee a normal life for people.

    There were reports on the liberation of the territories of Kherson region – we are doing everything to provide people with electricity, water, communications, financial and social services, and normal medicine as soon as possible.

    Pharmacies are finally reopening in Kherson, the post office, banks are working. People are getting access to the Internet. There are already 30 humanitarian aid distribution points.

    Electricity was restored to more than 20 de-occupied settlements in Kherson region.

    Mykolaiv region is the same. We return everything necessary for a normal life.

    We are working to restore the water supply to Mykolaiv. Payment of pensions has started in Snihurivka.

    And I thank everyone who provides recovery. And especially our sappers and rescuers. Thanks to their work everyone else can work safely.

    Once again, I will repeat to everyone in the de-occupied territory: please be very careful!

    Russia wants to kill even after fleeing from our land. Therefore, you need to be very careful.

    If you see anything suspicious, report it to the emergency services and the police. If a building has not yet been checked by sappers, please do not enter it. If a road has not been checked yet, please skip it.

    Reports and messages from Donetsk region are unchanged. Fierce battles continue at the same points as before. We hold our positions despite dozens of attacks.

    Of course, there was a lot of international communication. Not everything can be talked about now. We protect the interests of Ukraine, as always.

    Today is the professional day of thousands of our people who perform one of the most important jobs. And this is not only the work to inform people.

    The Day of Radio, Television and Communication Workers is about those who strengthen democracy at all times. Who integrates society informationally, emotionally and politically. Who unites our interests, our pain and our joys, our hopes and aspirations, our problems.

    The stronger this sphere is in the country, the stronger the democracy is there.

    I sincerely congratulate everyone who works in this field – each one.

    Those who make a telethon and those who work on other information platforms. Presenters, reporters whom we see and hear, studio workers, producers, editorial staff, whom society usually does not see and hear, but without whom this industry simply would not exist. Thank you all for your work for Ukrainians!

    Today there was a rather long interview. I also held an “off the record” meeting for journalists – specifically for radio and television workers.

    And the day is not over yet…

    There is also a meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the new wave of Russian missile terror. We are monitoring statements, working with partners, and defending Ukrainian interests.

    Of course, one of the main issues at the Security Council meeting is the situation in Poland, the clarification of all the circumstances of how Russian aggression crossed the Polish border.

    The Ukrainian position is very transparent: we strive to establish all the details, every fact.

    That is why we need our specialists to join the work of the international investigation and to get access to all the data available to our partners and the site of the explosion.

    All our information is in full access, we have been giving it to our partners since the night, from those first hours when the world began to find out what happened.

    I spoke with President Duda last night and expressed my condolences to him – Russian aggression took the lives of two Polish citizens.

    And I want all of us to honor the memory of all those whose lives were taken by this Russian war with a minute of silence.

    Citizens of Ukraine, citizens of Poland…

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (16/11/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (16/11/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 16 November 2022.

    Fellow Ukrainians!

    Today, the enemy launched another massive missile attack on our country.

    A total of 90 missiles. Energy system, enterprises, and residential buildings were damaged.

    And when did it happen?

    As soon as the first day of the G20 summit ended in Indonesia, the most significant statements were made, the key meetings took place.

    Russia is told about peace, but it fires missiles in response. It is told about the global crises that Russia caused, and it launches Iranian drones in response.

    It is offered ten points to end the war, and it fires ten missiles per each point about peace.

    At half past three this morning I joined the summit to present our proposals for restoring international peace and order. The world heard Ukraine. G19 members made their statements…

    And then in Moscow they decided that they could try again to achieve with terror what they could not and would not be able to achieve for the ninth month.

    15:24 – rocket, Kyiv. And throughout the country… How we lived today…

    15:54 – rocket, Kropyvnytskyi.

    15:56 – two rockets, Kirovohrad region.

    15:56 – rocket, Zhytomyr region. And also – Ivano-Frankivsk region, Rivne region, Kharkiv region…

    16:29 – rocket, Kryvyi Rih.

    16:29 – rocket, Poltava region.

    16:35 – Zhytomyr region again. Kyiv region, Lviv region, Odesa region, Mykolaiv region. And also – Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil region… And again Kyiv.

    Killed and wounded people. My condolences to the families!

    In many cities and regions of our country, there are again emergency blackouts. About ten million Ukrainians are without electricity. Most of them – as of this moment – in Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kyiv region and Lviv region. Lviv and some other cities suspended the supply of heat… All over the country there are problems with communication and the Internet.

    As a result of the strikes, automation today disabled several nuclear units at two stations – these are calculated consequences, and the enemy knew exactly what he was doing.

    This is the answer of Russia to Indonesia, India, China and all other countries that talked about the need to end the war. Russia is telling the world that it wants to continue. Now it is time for the world to answer.

    Moreover, what we warned about a long time ago happened today. We’ve been telling this. Terror is not limited to our national borders. It has already spread to the territory of Moldova. And today, Russian missiles hit Poland, the territory of our friendly country. People died. Please accept condolences from all Ukrainian brothers!

    How many times has Ukraine said that the terrorist state will not be limited to our country?

    Poland, the Baltic states… It’s only a matter of time before Russian terror goes further. We must put the terrorist in his place! The longer Russia feels impunity, the more threats there will be to everyone who can be reached by Russian missiles.

    Hitting NATO territory with missiles… This is a Russian missile attack on collective security! This is a really significant escalation. Action is needed.

    And I want to tell all our Polish brothers and sisters now… Ukraine will always support you! Terror will not break free people! Victory is possible when there is no fear! We don’t have it, neither do you.

    I want to thank all partners who help protect the sky. In particular, our NASAMS systems worked well today: ten hits out of ten launches.

    As of this hour, more than 70 missiles and 10 combat drones have been shot down.

    I thank all our American and European friends who help us ensure such a result.

    I am also grateful to all our warriors of the “South”, “Center”, “East” and “West” air commands, as well as air defense units of the Ground Forces.

    I am grateful to all our rescuers, our energy workers who will work round the clock to restore normal life for Ukrainians. Restoration work has begun across the country.

    We will get through this too. We will restore everything.

    Russia opposes itself to the world. Russia loses on the battlefield. Russia terrorizes us and everyone it can reach. Let’s do everything to stop it!

    Glory to all who defend freedom!

    Glory to all who work for our victory!

    Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by terrorists!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Therese Coffey – 2022 Speech at CBD COP15 Held at Natural History Museum

    Therese Coffey – 2022 Speech at CBD COP15 Held at Natural History Museum

    The speech made by Therese Coffey, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, at the Natural History Museum in London on 7 December 2022.

    Thank you for joining us bright and early and thank you to the staff of the Natural History Museum for hosting us here before they open their doors to the public this morning as they have done for generations.

    We are proud to be backing your important work. And we are fortunate to have this cathedral of nature consecrated to 4.5 billion years of natural history to the pursuit of science and to the study and appreciation of the world’s flora and fauna right here, in our capital city.

    So it’s hard to think of a more inspiring place for us to meet as I call on all of you to help us come together to secure the future of life on earth and a better future for every generation to come.

    When I visited the Museum recently some of the scientists here reminded me that just five years ago, in Hintze Hall a diplodocus would have greeted us.

    But it is right that we are now dwarfed by the awesome, twenty-five-metre skeleton of a blue whale the largest animal that has ever existed bigger even than the biggest dinosaur.

    Forty years ago – following a coordinated campaign from schoolchildren and conservation experts alike – including many of the organisations you represent, sea-going nations from around the world came together at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton and agreed a moratorium on commercial whaling.

    In a global move to bring species back from the brink of extinction and find more peaceful ways of appreciating these wonderful creatures.

    As Environment Minister, a few years ago I had the privilege of watching humpback whales from a boat in Petite Passage, Nova Scotia and it was a profoundly moving experience.

    And while this work is ongoing, we should take heart from what we have achieved and our commitment to seeing it through. Because it seemed impossible until it was done.

    Because with blue whale populations now recovering Sir David Attenborough is right to say that ‘Hope’ is an important emblem of what we can achieve.

    And because sharing success is so important at a time when we need to steel our resolve to work together to solve so many challenges when we need to renew the trust between people and power around the world and when we must make the most of the UN nature conference, CBD COP15 in Montreal.

    For far too long the Cinderella of the story, it’s cinderellas time to shine but now rightly recognised by all of us here – as our best chance yet to secure the decade of action we need.

    I am proud that the UK laid the groundwork for success in Montreal through our presidency of COP26 – the climate COP – in Glasgow.

    Together, we brought nature – land and ocean – and effective, cost-effective nature-based solutions from the margins of the global debate into the heart of our collective response to the causes and impacts of climate change for the first time securing unprecedented investment in nature – land and ocean from all sources, public, private and philanthropic

    , including greater global backing for natural wonders on which the whole world depends from the Amazon to the Congo Basin and accelerating the economic shifts that are already underway to make sure every dollar in our economies takes us closer to our shared goals.

    At COP27 in Egypt, I saw the legacy of COP26 alive and kicking not least in the way countries and companies are now honouring their commitments – including on forests – and building on them as well.

    We are engaging the United Arab Emirates as hosts of COP28 next year to make sure we

    And in all of this, our ability to lead depends on our longstanding, ongoing commitment – across government to identify and then use every lever we have to leave the environment in a better state than we found it

    From the way we work with the private sector, including the financial sector

    – to secure the public good – to the way we use public money to support the production of food. Something I spoke to our famers about last week so we make the most of our newfound freedoms and our landmark legislation to make timely progress on meeting our domestic targets to reach net-zero by 2050 and halt the decline of nature by 2030.

    In support of that target I am delighted to announce that, this spring we will launch a new multi-million pound fund to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats, including on protected sites from scrub, to wetlands and grasslands where each investment will secure multiple benefits for nature, climate, and people and encourage opportunities for private funding by backing underfunded projects that give us the biggest bang for our buck.

    By making good on our commitment to double UK international climate finance to 11.6 billion pounds and to spend at least 3 billion on nature, including through our newly established 500 million pound Blue Planet Fund and our 100 million pound Biodiverse Landscapes Fund.

    We are building on decades of experience backing efforts to take on the whole host of threats that now face the world’s flora and fauna – well beyond climate change alone through the Blue Belt programme, protecting an area of ocean larger than India around our biodiverse Overseas Territories, our world-renowned 39 million pound Darwin Initiative and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

    And whether it’s taking on illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing persuading countries to agree a new, legally-binding global treaty to end plastic pollution, by 2040 or supporting efforts to establish a global gold standard for taking nature into account across our economies on the world stage and behind the scenes the UK is leading, co-leading, and actively supporting the global coalitions that are committed to securing the maximum possible ambition and achieving the greatest possible impact.

    That includes our approach to the UN nature conference that kicked off yesterday.

    Our world-class UK negotiating team are in the hot-seat building on four years of talks with the support of our world-class scientists from a range of institutions, including Kew Gardens and JNCC.

    And later this week, I will lead a team of ministers from Defra, the FCDO and the Treasury, working as one to persuade our counterparts from around the world to give their negotiators the political backing they need to build consensus around a robust, ambitious global framework for action that will put nature on a road to recovery, this decade.

    That must include targets to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and at least 30% of the global ocean, by 2030 and to see natural systems restored, populations of species recovering, and extinctions halted by 2050 alongside strengthened reporting and review mechanisms that will hold all of us to account for the promises we make and commitments to work in partnership with indigenous peoples and local communities, who depend on nature most directly and understand it so deeply so we make sure everyone feels the benefit of seeing this through.

    And we know that demonstrating our collective willingness and ability to close the finance gap for nature is key to unlocking the ambition we need in Montreal.

    And that is why the UK has been working with our friends in Ecuador, Gabon, and the Maldives to develop a 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity, an ambitious, credible blueprint for action that increases our chances of achieving consensus by making sure that any government approaching the negotiations in good faith will be able to see a potential solution to their concerns.

    Our Plan commands the confidence of developed and developing countries spanning five continents – and counting.

    We are doing all we can to persuade others to endorse it.

    And I hope that you too will help us to gather further support in this final furlong – and beyond.

    Ultimately, we all know that there is a long road between where we stand today, and where we need to be.

    In national parks in South Africa I have seen how the illegal wildlife trade pits people and wildlife against one another with devastating consequences for all.

    On visits to small island states I have heard what it means for communities when their homelands face an existential threat.

    And the evidence for why this is so urgent is now all around us in the wisdom of indigenous people and local communities, in the science and in events on every continent.

    But I genuinely believe that if we work together to make the road ahead a road to recovery, we stand not just to avoid the worst impacts but to save precious species by securing the diversity, abundance and connectivity of life on Earth that will also help to bolster the peace and prosperity we all want to see and fundamentally to improve the lives of people at home and around the world for generations to come as well.

    The UK is committed to playing our part and to continuing to work with all of you and our friends around the world to see this through.

    The action you take can have a massive impact and you have the power to inspire others to step up as well.

    So once again, I want to thank you for joining us and I urge you to keep up the good work.

    Thank you very much.