3rd Report - The UK and the Antarctic environment

The government accepts the recommendation, committing to publish an Antarctic strategy before the end of the year and to consider the Committee's report and recommendations during its production.

The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing on the importance of long-term monitoring and data sharing within the Antarctic Treaty System. They confirm ongoing work to develop an international framework for environmental monitoring and a planned joint workshop in May 2026.

The government accepts the recommendation, affirming its commitment to the Paris Agreement, its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity framework, stating it will continue to accelerate the transition to net zero and champion biodiversity efforts.

The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing that biosecurity is critical and detailing existing measures such as BAS Biosecurity Regulations, biosecurity information in UK permits, encouragement of the IMO Ballast Water Convention, and a BAS horizon scan for marine species.

The government accepts the recommendation, committing to safeguard the long-term future of the Blue Belt Programme by providing sustained funding for marine protection and sustainable management to both ODA and non-ODA eligible territories.

The government accepts the recommendation and states it is actively working to prevent regulatory stalemate by advocating for improvements to CCAMLR's decision-making process and pragmatic, compromise-based solutions to enable conservation measures.

The government accepts the recommendation, stating it is actively working with like-minded members, including through bilateral engagements, to secure support for marine protection measures and advocate for improvements to CCAMLR's decision-making process.

The government accepts the recommendation, stating it is actively working to increase the efficiency of CCAMLR and advocating for improvements to its decision-making process to enable conservation measures.

The government accepted the recommendation and committed to actively engage with allies to press Russia to reaffirm its commitment to the Antarctic Protocol's mining prohibition and provide comprehensive data on its seismic surveys.

The government accepts the recommendation, committing to continue bringing permitting matters to the attention of Treaty Parties, sharing best practice, and raising awareness about operators seeking authorisation from multiple National Competent Authorities.

The government accepts the recommendation, confirming that the forthcoming Antarctic strategy will outline how the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Project's opportunities will be maximised to advance vital climate change research.

The government accepts the recommendation, stating that NERC already supports multilateral research initiatives and reduces 'double jeopardy' through existing mechanisms like the Belmont Forum and Horizon Europe, which employ harmonised processes including shared peer review and grant rounds.

The government accepts this conclusion and commits to publishing an Antarctic strategy before the end of the year, taking the committee’s report and recommendations into consideration during its production.

The government partially accepts this conclusion, highlighting ongoing polar research collaborations like the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration and British Antarctic Survey's strategic science themes. These initiatives provide fundamental data and knowledge for improving sea level models and understanding climate change impacts, aiming to address the need for sustained action and observation.

The government accepts this conclusion, affirming its full commitment to the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target and outlining ongoing efforts, including accelerating the transition to net zero through initiatives like the Global Clean Power Alliance and delivering on its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution target.

The government partially accepts this conclusion, highlighting ongoing polar research collaborations like the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration and British Antarctic Survey's strategic science themes, which aim to understand ice loss and improve sea level models. It also mentions the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) as a means of improving understanding of climate change impacts relevant to UK coastlines.

The government accepts this conclusion, stating it is not in favour of Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and has no plans to deploy it. It also highlights ongoing international work to address geoengineering research and governance challenges, including discussions at the ATCM which confirmed serious concerns and the need for a precautionary approach.

The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing that decarbonisation is fundamental and detailing British Antarctic Survey's net-zero by 2040 commitment through specific initiatives like HVO fuel, renewable energy, and AI. It also notes efforts to advocate for decarbonisation in international fora like the ATCM and UNFCCC.

The government partially accepts, explaining that current Antarctic research priorities and existing funding through UKRI and the National Academies, including over £900m allocated for 2025/26, are already focused on understanding biodiversity changes and other impacts of climate change.

The government accepts the conclusion's findings regarding the vulnerabilities in CCAMLR governance and states it is actively advocating for Marine Protected Areas and improvements to CCAMLR's decision-making process to prevent future deadlock.

The government accepts the recommendation and states it is making the establishment of new Marine Protected Areas a diplomatic priority, actively working with like-minded members and engaging bilaterally with China and Russia to garner support for their adoption.

The government accepts the commendation, outlining its consistent advocacy for a robust regulatory framework for Antarctic tourism, including dynamic site management and visitor number limitations, and leading by example with rigorous environmental scrutiny.

The government accepts the recommendation, stating it leads by example through rigorous environmental scrutiny and transparent reporting, and consistently advocates for a robust regulatory framework for Antarctic tourism, including a strategic framework for dynamic site management and limiting visitor numbers.

The government accepts the recommendation, detailing its consistent advocacy for a robust, comprehensive, and enforceable regulatory framework for Antarctic tourism, including strategic frameworks for dynamic site management and limiting visitor numbers based on scientific evidence.

The government accepts the recommendation, stating it consistently advocates for a robust, comprehensive, and enforceable regulatory framework for Antarctic tourism, including a strategic framework for dynamic site management and limitations on visitor numbers.