PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Climate Change (2 September 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the efficacy of his Department's work on climate change; and what future steps his Department plans to take to support international action on climate change.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

Ministers have endorsed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) climate change priorities, including work with the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and other Government Departments and our global network of climate attaches. This is in support of the Government’s aim of achieving a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the UN in Paris in December 2015. We work closely with international partners, including through FCO Programme Funds. Recent examples of impact include China launching seven regional Emissions Trading Schemes; international promotion of the UK’s Climate Change Act with influence among some 60 countries taking forward climate laws; and under the UK’s 2013 Presidency, the G8 recognising that climate change presents a risk to global security. We also promote UK low carbon and environmental goods and services, with UK exports valued at £3.4 trillion in 2011/12 and UK ranked sixth globally with a market share of 3.7%. Climate change and energy security remain foreign policy priorities for the FCO; we keep future plans under constant review.

Answered by:
Sir James Duddridge (Conservative)
5 September 2014