Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 12
Seventh Report: A climate for ambition: Diplomatic preparations for COP26
Published 19 Apr 2021
Paragraph 34
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)
For COP26 to be successful, the Government will need to ensure that negotiations are inclusive and take into account the viewpoints of the Least Developed Countries and the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It will not be possible to guarantee that negotiations are inclusive unless the Government ensures that people from the world’s Least Developed Countries have effective access to them. Poor internet access and connectivity could prove a real barrier to hosting an inclusive conference. Diplomatic efforts during the pandemic and recovery must recognise these challenges, participants should be supported with accessing negotiations 22 A climate for ambition: Diplomatic preparations for COP26 and the Government must recognise situations where in-person diplomacy is needed. The event should be viewed as an opportunity to look at new ways of connecting communities, not just an obstacle.
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, Seventh Report: A climate for ambition: Diplomatic preparations for COP26 (HC 202), paragraph 34, 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".