Select committee: International Development Committee
Conclusion 83
Second Report - Global Britain in demand: UK climate action and international development around COP26
Published 26 Oct 2021
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
International Development Committee Climate change, development and COP26 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
COP26 is the starting point of a one-year opportunity for the UK to shape the direction of climate action and development in this decade significantly. As COP President, the UK 168 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (CDC0016) 169 Q125 [Lord Goldsmith] 170 Q125 [Lord Goldsmith] 171 Q126 [Lord Goldsmith] 172 Institute of Development Studies (CDC0015) 173 UN News, The trillion dollar climate finance challenge (and opportunity), 27 June 2021 174 United Nations News, Global economy projected to show fastest growth in 50 years, 15 September 2021 Global Britain in demand: UK climate action and international development around COP26 29 will play an important role in increasing the resilience of climate-vulnerable countries and trust between stakeholders as the Parties seek ambitious commitments on climate action and volume as well as access to climate finance.
From: International Development Committee, Second Report - Global Britain in demand: UK climate action and international development around COP26 (HC 99), 26 October 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 14 January 2022 (deadline 26 December 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response to the Committee's report is mostly 'Partially agree', with 'Agree' on two recommendations, while declining the Committee's 31 January 2022 deadline for a locally-led adaptation pathway.
- On locally-led adaptation, it says it "agree[s] that locally led adaptation is critical" but is "not able to agree" to submit a pathway by 31 January 2022, citing the need to work with others, in particular Egypt as incoming COP27 Presidency. It "will report on progress by 31 March".
- On climate finance access, it agrees and says it is working to update the International Climate Finance Strategy and "aim to publish this by April 2022". It is not "proposing a simplification of the criteria for LDCs and SIDS per se", but a streamlined accreditation approach.
- On fossil fuel exemptions, it partially agrees, stating the exemptions are for "a small number of situations" and are "necessary to make this policy work in the real world". BII is developing a carbon budget and "will share this information with the Committee in due course".
- On a Climate and Development Minister, it partially agrees, stating there is "already strong ministerial oversight for this policy area", with Lord Goldsmith holding responsibility for climate and environment.