Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 12
Third Report - Net Zero and UN Climate Summits: Scrutiny of Preparations for COP26 – interim report
Published 5 Mar 2021
Paragraph 31
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Net zero and UN climate summits All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
We ask that the COP26 President sets out how the conference procedures will be adjusted to reflect the possibility that delegations from certain countries (where, for example, covid vaccination roll out has been slower or where new variants of the covid virus are discovered) may not be able to fully participate physically in the conference; and what steps will be taken to ensure equality of access to the conference between developed nations (where vaccine roll out has been quicker) and some developing nations (where vaccine roll out has been slower). In addition, in the scenario that country delegations are reduced in size, we ask the COP26 President to set out how other important stakeholders—such as city leaders and business leaders—will be invited to take part in proceedings if they are unable to physically be at the conference.
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, Third Report - Net Zero and UN Climate Summits: Scrutiny of Preparations for COP26 – interim report (HC 1265), paragraph 31, 5 March 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 May 2021 (deadline 5 May 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 COP26 goals and how progress is monitored, but on most of the Committee's requests it commits only to update Parliament "in due course", and on the sixth carbon budget it will "consider in detail" the CCC's advice.
- On measuring success, it restates five goals for the UK Presidency and says progress is monitored through two committees chaired by the Prime Minister and the COP President Designate, and by tracking commitments mandated by the Paris Agreement.
- On scrutiny, it says the COP26 President "has agreed to select committee appearances in line with the proposal from committee chairs", shared with ministerial colleagues and officials given his travel. On recess dates, the Leader of the House will inform the House "in due course".
- On the delegation and covid-19 arrangements, it says the delegation is still being finalised and health protection and contingency measures "remain in development". It will update Parliament "in due course" and is "considering robust contingency plans".
- On the sixth carbon budget, it does not commit to accepting the advice in full. It will write to the Committee "once the timetable for laying the statutory instrument has been agreed" and will take into account the recommendations of the Climate Assembly UK.