Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 2
Seventh Report: A climate for ambition: Diplomatic preparations for COP26
Published 19 Apr 2021
Paragraph 10
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign Affairs Committee Environmental diplomacy All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We welcome the Government’s announcement of four headline ‘objectives’ for its COP26 Presidency. However, beyond this announcement there has been little detail on what the UK Government wants to achieve. Setting ambitious expectations will be crucial to securing the success of the conference and the Government will need to do more than just set out broad ambitions. We recommend that the Government ensures that the process for setting objectives for COP26 is inclusive and incorporates the views of the Least Developed Countries and the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We recommend that before the beginning of the G7 conference in June, the Government expands its headline objectives into a clear list of targets that the UK Presidency wants to achieve in Glasgow. Using the two events together to mobilise support will give a greater opportunity for success. Only by working with networks of partners will the FCDO ensure that more ambitious NDCs are put forward, and only by making plans early and engaging others will the Government secure buy in from other UNFCCC Parties.
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, Seventh Report: A climate for ambition: Diplomatic preparations for COP26 (HC 202), paragraph 10, 19 April 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 June 2021 (deadline 19 June 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out its work towards COP26 and makes a number of specific commitments, while stating that carbon pricing "is not a mandated discussion for COP26, and so will not be an outcome".
- On integrating climate into wider foreign policy, the government says "We agree about the need to take a holistic approach" and cites a Fossil Fuels Policy from 31 March 2021 and a new rule on aligning ODA with the Paris Agreement.
- On future presidencies and the African COP27 Presidency, it will "continue to use the UK's diplomatic convening power after COP26", but "Specific decisions on resourcing and structures beyond this year will be taken as part of the next Spending Review".
- On the international development strategy, it will "set out what this means for the UK's international development offer in our forthcoming international development strategy", without giving a date.
- On Covid-19, its "intent remains to hold the main conference in person"; it will provide vaccines for delegates unable to access them, and will give further details on contingency planning to Parliament "in due course".