Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Paragraph: 26
The UK has a strong record for building coalitions for climate action, such as the...
Recommendation
The UK has a strong record for building coalitions for climate action, such as the High Ambition Coalition at UN climate negotiations, and it could build upon this A climate for ambition: Diplomatic preparations for COP26 21 during its COP Presidency. Summits such as the global summit on climate and development provide an important opportunity to influence those countries most affected by the impacts of climate change. The UK Government should look to build overlapping circles of interest to build support for change and to drive forward global ambition. Building on partnerships that may be temporary, the UK should enable with staff support, though not always lead, groups of low-lying states, island nations, developing economies, high ambition states, and vulnerable country groups, amongst others, building on the work of the Small Island Developing States. We recommend that the FCDO make use of their relationships with the previous Chilean hosts, the Italian co-presidents, and other regional partners to build a network of sectoral leaders to help secure a worldwide push for increased climate ambition. The UK’s Presidency should be viewed as organisational and enabling.
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26
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
8.1 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other countries most immediately vulnerable to climate impacts play a pivotal role in tackling climate change and are unwavering champions for ambitious climate action. We are committed to working in partnership with SIDS and other key constituencies to achieve an ambitious, shared outcome at COP26 that facilitates ambition not only on mitigation, but also on adaptation and finance. In his recent visits, including to Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria and Vietnam, the COP President Designate has met some of the communities most vulnerable to climate change, as well holding regular virtual meetings. 8.2 The UK COP Presidency is seeking to amplify SIDS voices and drive action on their priority issues. As the report reflects, we are doing this, for example, through the recent Climate and Development Ministerial. This virtual event brought together Ministers from 35 climate vulnerable and donor countries and representatives from institutions and civil society, to develop further solutions on adaptation, climate finance, and debt. One outcome is that the UK is partnering with Fiji to initiate a new Access to Finance Task Force. 10 First Special Report of Session 2021–22 8.3 We are also working with SIDS such as St Lucia on adaptation initiatives, for example the Adaptation Action Coalition and the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership. The UK is also co-chair of the NDC Partnership with Jamaica. The Partnership convenes 110 countries and over 60 organisations to help countries implement their Nationally Determined Contributions and access finance. 8.4 We have a strong partnership with Italy and are jointly committed to encouraging the highest possible ambition from all parties ahead of COP26, and, as reflected above, to leveraging our G7 and G20 Presidencies to drive forward the COP26 campaigns. 8.5 Since COP 25, a close partnership has also been established between the UK and Chilean COP Presidencies. In particular, collaboration has focused on driving increased climate ambition globally as well as progress on the UNFCCC negotiations on the road to Glasgow. For example, Chile partnered the UK, Italy and France to deliver the Climate Ambition Summit in December 2020; at the 2020 UN General Assembly, COP 25 President, Carolina Schmidt, and COP 26 President Designate, Alok Sharma, made a joint statement calling for more ambitious commitments from countries across mitigation, adaptation and finance; and, throughout 2021, Chile and the UK are jointly leading monthly consultations on diverse elements of the climate negotiations with countries’ Heads of Delegations. There is also active collaboration between the UK and Chile to promote real economy action, for instance through the ‘Race to Zero’ and ‘Race to Resilience’ campaigns launched by the COP 25 and 26 High Level Climate Action Champions and Chile’s membership of the COP 26 Energy Transition Council.