Sir Chris Bryant MP: Climate-Related Speeches In Parliament

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Chris Bryant's Speeches In Parliament Related to Climate

We've found 41 Parliamentary debates in which Chris Bryant has spoken about climate-related matters.

Here are the relevant sections of their speeches.

• 8 Oct 2024: Edinburgh Festivals: Cultural and Economic Contribution

  17:36

  My hon. Friend made an important point about crisis support. I am worried about the situation that arose, in particular, for the book festival and Baillie Gifford. He makes a fair point about whether that is the right way to go about making important points about climate change. One of the things we need to do as a Department is look at the whole package of the whole funding of all the arts and creative industries, which used to come from five or six different segments, including local government, which was prominent in that when we were in power before 2010. Most of that funding has completely gone, and philanthropy is struggling outside London and the south-east. We need to look at this in the round.

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• 12 Sep 2024: Data and Digital Infrastructure: Security and Resilience

  Data infrastructure underpins essential services that are critical to the UK economy and our way of life and will only become more vital as technologies like AI require greater data centre and cloud capacity. The data it contains is highly valuable, and as such attracts security threats from cyber and physical attacks. Data centres are also vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which is increasing the risk of environmental hazards like flooding, heatwaves, and other extreme weather that can disrupt operations and result in a compromise or loss of crucial services.

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• 19 Apr 2024: Zoological Society of London (Leases) Bill

  13:25

  We talk a lot in this House and in Committees—I sit on the Environmental Audit Committee—about the challenges of biodiversity net loss across the world, as well as in this nation. About 70% of biodiversity has been lost since I was born in 1970, but a lot of that is driven by climate change. Would the Minister be able to expand a little on the zoo’s plans to deal with climate change in its educational programmes, while also dealing with it in its programmes to protect the long-term future of those species?

  My understanding is that part of the zoo’s offer in relation to this lease extension is that it will deepen its partnerships and relationships with some of the nearby institutions, including local universities and other scientific institutions. I imagine that that shared learning will help to advance our understanding of climate change and its impact on biodiversity. I should also note that this Government, through the Environment Act 2021, brought in the concept of biodiversity net gain, with the impact of construction on wildlife offset by commitments from developers to enhance our local environments.

  Over 80,000 school students visit the zoo each year, learning about wildlife conservation and the effects of climate change and plastics pollution. Protecting the future of this organisation through the extension of the maximum lease term makes sure that it will continue to educate and inspire the next generation. The Government are committed to supporting the Zoological Society of London’s ambitions to improve and invest to secure its continued role as a leader in the field. Extending the lease term is part of that much-needed support. We are sure that the Bill will offer the necessary support and protection to the Zoological Society of London and London zoo. I am very pleased to affirm our support for the Bill, and once again I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East for bringing it to the House.

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• 3 Mar 2020: Energy-Intensive Industries: Decarbonisation

  Will the Government help to decarbonise the Rhondda? I ask because following the flooding we have seen significant landslides on former coal sites. I do not want to overstate this, but there is some anxiety about what that might mean for the future and stability of some of these tips. Will the Minister make sure that the Secretary of State meets me and other MPs in affected areas to make sure that the Coal Authority is doing everything in its power to make sure everybody is safe?

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• 9 Jun 2016: Business of the House

  10:56

  Our Opposition day debate, as the Leader of the House announced, will be on the economic benefits of the UK’s membership of the European Union, because the last thing our very fragile economic recovery needs is the prolonged bout of uncertainty and the self-inflicted recession that Brexit would undoubtedly bring. We always achieve far more by our common endeavour than by going it alone. John Donne was right that no man is an island, and these islands are not a hermetically sealed unit. If we want to tackle climate change, environmental degradation, international crime and terrorism; if we want a seat at the table when the major decisions affecting our continent are made; if we want to shape Europe and fashion our own destiny: we have to lead Europe, not leave it.

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• 10 Mar 2016: Business of the House

  10:58

  At 7 am the Competition and Markets Authority produced a report on its energy market investigation. I welcome that report, which focuses on prepayment meters—the issue is also dealt with under the hashtag PrePayRipOff. I have had an Adjournment debate, I have written to the Prime Minister and I have written to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, and the responses have been inadequate. Will the Leader of the House make available Government time so that the House can have an urgently needed proper discussion, to explore the CMA’s recommendation, which the Secretary of State said she will implement?

  The Leader of the House will be aware that, three days ago, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, which represents £13 trillion of assets under management, wrote to the Chancellor to press for regulation to ensure mandatory corporate disclosure of climate risks. May we have a debate in Government time on the mandatory reporting of climate risks, so that there is transparency about the financial health of our corporate sector, and so that the confidence of such an enormous body of investment funds can be increased?

  The hon. Gentleman is another person for us to wish a happy birthday. This country is at the leading edge of combating climate change, and we have adopted targets that stand comparison with any in the world. However, there is a point at which simply putting additional reporting requirements endlessly on to business leads to us having fewer jobs in the country, rather than more, and that is not something I support.

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• 3 Mar 2016: Business of the House

  10:37

  On 17 November, I wrote to the Department of Energy and Climate Change asking for a meeting after DECC officials had met in my constituency to discuss a deplorable situation relating to an open-cast mine that is still not being restored. Despite several follow-up phone calls, I have still not secured a meeting. On 2 November, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs promised me a substantive reply by 20 November on the case of Mr Thornhill that I have been chasing since 2010. I am still waiting for a reply. May I ask the Leader of the House to utilise his foot, which he has also offered to the Scottish National party, to assist my efforts to ensure justice for my constituents?

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• 11 Feb 2016: Business of the House

  11:06

  As the hon. Gentleman knows, the Government’s policy is not to put all eggs in one basket. We have probably done more than any previous Government in pursuing renewable energy in this country, be it wind, solar or tidal, but we believe that we need a mix of generation for the future, and that will include nuclear.

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• 21 Jan 2016: Business of the House

  10:35

  This week, the Leader of the House made comments that again insinuated that the SNP over-predicted the price of oil. Before the referendum, the Department of Energy and Climate Change had predicted an upper forecast of $135 a barrel for oil for this year alone. Low oil prices affect workers all over the UK and I have a constituent who at Christmas did not know whether his son would get back on to the rigs. Will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement apologising for gloating while people lose their jobs?

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• 14 Jan 2016: Business of the House

  10:33

  Yesterday, I and colleagues from the Energy and Climate Change Committee met the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maroš Šefcovic, and I asked him about the European Union’s position on Chinese market economy status. He said that that debate had to happen and that the decision would be taken in autumn. Energy-intensive industries such as steel, chemical processing and manufacturing are really relying on that decision. Why is it still the case, and may we have a statement on why it is still the case that the Government, irrespective of whether we will be a member of the EU or not, are backing Chinese market economy status without any clarification or qualification?

  It is clear that China is one of the largest economies in the world. It is a country with which we have historical links. It is right and proper that we engage with China economically. China has also, as we saw at the recent Paris summit, now recognised the imperative of addressing environmental issues. Thanks to the work of several international figures, including my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the outcome of the summit has started the world on a path going in the right direction.

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• 7 Jan 2016: Business of the House

  10:33

  Driven grouse shoots damage wildlife sites, increase water pollution, increase greenhouse gas emissions, increase water bills, result in the illegal killing of hen harriers and shed water off hillsides, which causes millions of pounds of damage in floods—we have seen such floods in recent weeks—so may we have a debate and a vote on whether to abolish driven grouse shoots?

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• 17 Dec 2015: Business of the House

  10:33

  The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. He knows that this is a matter of ongoing concern for the Government. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change will be here on the Thursday after we return. I will make sure that her office is aware of his concern so that if he would like to raise it then, she will be better prepared to answer him.

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• 10 Dec 2015: Business of the House

  11:13

  Tuesday 15 December—Opposition day (13th allotted day). There will be a debate on climate change and flooding, followed by a debate on the Government’s housing record. If necessary, consideration of Lords amendments.

  Next week there will be a statement on the outcome of the climate talks in Paris, a statement on local government finance, and—as I promised during business questions a couple of weeks ago—a statement updating the House on the situation in Syria.

  The decision to remove £1 billion from the carbon capture and storage competition is the latest kick in the teeth for the green and low carbon technology sectors. I have asked the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change several questions to which she claims she does not yet know the answers. May we have a debate or a statement from the Secretary of State so that we can tease out why this disastrous decision was made?

  I know that the hon. Gentleman has already raised this issue. I am not embarrassed by our record on renewables. During the last quarter—over the summer—more than 25% of our energy generation came from renewables, which is a step change from where we were previously. This Government and their predecessor, the coalition Government, have moved to develop renewable energy in this country, but we do not have unlimited funds and we must use those funds carefully. The Secretary of State has taken the decision not to move away from carbon capture for the long term, but to have a mix of energy generation. The mix that she set out in her statement in this House two weeks ago is the right one. She will be back in the House on 7 January, when the hon. Gentleman will again have a chance to ask her about his concerns.

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• 3 Dec 2015: Business of the House

  11:04

  The Leader of the House will be aware of the bizarre decision by the Chancellor to axe the £1 billion funding for the first two carbon capture and storage projects in the UK. He might also be aware that Teesside’s ambition is to create the first industrial CCS project, with the potential to create thousands of jobs in an area that the Leader of the House will know has been devastated by job losses in the steel, mining and construction industries as well as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. May we have a debate to discuss the implications of the Chancellor’s decision, described by the industry as disastrous?

  I first raised with the Leader of the House on 17 September the issue of the national wind college which was going to be based in the Humber. In the comprehensive spending review statement last week, five colleges were announced, but not one for the Humber area specialising in wind energy. May we have a debate in Government time on the commitment to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind energy, and why, if the Government are serious about the northern powerhouse, Hull and the Humber seem to have been missed out yet again?

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• 19 Nov 2015: Business of the House

  10:33

  Last Thursday, Boulby Potash announced that it would make 700 of its 1,000 miners redundant by 2018, including 350 redundancies with immediate effect. That comes off the back of announcements by Caparo, SSI, Johnson Matthey, and other redundancies that amass to about 5,000 private and public sector jobs that, in the past two months, have either gone or will soon go. To deal properly with that situation, may we have a debate or statement on the Government’s review of carbon capture and storage programmes? Teesside is an excellent candidate for CCS, and we could create a new renaissance in industrial activity in the area and attract private investment directly to the Tees valley.

  Any large-scale job loss in this country—indeed, any job loss—is unwelcome, and the Government will work with all those in Teesside and other areas who have been affected by recent developments. We will do everything possible to ease the immediate impact of those job losses, and to secure appropriate investment to replace jobs that are lost. That will always be our priority. The Prime Minister said yesterday that CCS is being considered by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. We have just had questions to DECC, and if the hon. Gentleman did not have the opportunity to raise that issue with the Secretary of State, I will ensure that she is made aware of his concerns. She will no doubt bring forward further information about her plans in due course.

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• 22 Oct 2015: Business of the House

  11:07

  The Government have made a number of attacks since the election in May on support for green energy. In the light of reports this morning that our current emissions targets may be insufficient to meet the challenge on global warming, may we have a debate in Government time on support for sustainable energy?

  In the past few months the level of electricity generation from sustainable sources in this country has passed 25%. That is far in excess of anything that was envisaged in the early days by the previous Labour Government, so I do not think we have anything to be embarrassed about in our record on sustainable and renewable energy. Also, in a week when the Labour party has been complaining of the high energy costs faced by our steel producers, it is surely right and proper that we in this country do not seek to impose on consumers an ever higher burden of support from either the taxpayer or from bill payers without recognition of the impact that that can have.

  Since the Leader of the House is so confident about his Government’s record on sustainable energy, may we have a debate on Government plans to cut energy feed-in tariffs and the reports that that will cost us 20,000 jobs, devastate the rooftop solar industry and lead to 1 million fewer solar panel installations by 2020? That is not very green or efficient.

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• 17 Sep 2015: Business of the House

  10:35

  It is essential that that project goes ahead, as its success will be an integral part of this country’s future energy strategy. We must ensure that we keep people’s houses lit and businesses running, and this morning we heard questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. I assure my hon. Friend that the Secretary of State will keep the House regularly updated about progress on that important project.

  I will happily ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to respond to the hon. Lady’s point. We regard skill development in key industries as of immense importance, so I will make sure that she gets a response.

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• 16 Jul 2015: BBC Charter Review

  12:50

  So long as the BBC is guaranteed a source of income, whether through the licence fee or the proposed household levy, there will be no incentive for it to address its well-documented, massively wasteful expenditure or the issue of bias—whether it is left-wing bias, pro-EU bias or man-made climate change bias—which so annoys millions of people across the United Kingdom. Does the Secretary of State not agree that the only way of giving the BBC an incentive to address those issues is to give people the choice of whether they wish to pay for it or not?

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• 6 Sep 2012: Immigration

  15:21

  We could encourage more people to leave the country and make them emigrate by increasing the threshold for settlement to more than £35,000, but that would touch only some 3,000 people at best. We could curtail non-EU migration, but not without cutting demand. According to many employers, the danger is that they would simply seek to employ more EU migrants. The key point is that we have to deal with demand for migrant labour in the UK. For instance, we need to deal with pay and conditions in many parts of the country, so that it makes sense for British people to work. We need to ensure that people have the skills to be able to take the jobs in key industries such as construction and hospitality that are currently being taken by migrants. We also have to tackle the vectors of mass migration around the world, particularly war, famine, poverty and climate change. On that basis, I do not think it would be right to support the motion.

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• 12 Dec 2011: Immigration

  19:17

  One other potential vector, which other hon. Members have addressed on other occasions, is climate change. If the seas of the world rise because of climate change, there is a strong likelihood that some of the poorest people in the world will not only want to move but have no choice but to do so, because many of their homes are in the most exposed areas.

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• 3 Jun 2010: European Affairs

  17:28

  The hon. Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark said that the Liberal Democrats had never argued for the euro. Perhaps the party did not all the time, but the new Chief Secretary, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change did. It is good to see them on the road to Damascus, but it would sometimes be nice to hear a little less sanctimony from them.

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• 6 Apr 2010: Oral Answers to Questions

  We have a very close and productive relationship with Argentina on a range of issues, including in the G20, on climate change, sustainable development and counter-proliferation. We have absolutely no doubts whatever about our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, nor over the islanders’ right to develop a hydrocarbon industry within Falkland waters.

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• 30 Mar 2010: General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils

  The Foreign Secretary set out the UK’s support for the EAS as a shared project and a great opportunity. The EAS needed to have the capacity to add value and this should include having a complementary role on cross-cutting policy issues such as climate change and migration. He stressed the need for merit based appointments.

  The Presidency (Mr. Moratinos) invited comments on the draft European Council conclusions covering Europe 2020 and climate change.

  Climate Change

  On climate change, the Foreign Secretary led a number of member states in stressing the need to maintain ambition, implement the Copenhagen accord and move forward on fast start financing and mitigation/adaptation.

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• 22 Mar 2010: General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council (22 March)

  The GAC will present and discuss the draft Council conclusions for the spring European Council on the 25 and 26 March including points on EU2020 and climate change. On EU2020, we will seek to make progress on the agreement of a comprehensive European economic strategy that delivers strong, sustainable and balanced growth. On climate change, we will seek to ensure continued international focus on the goal of a legally binding treaty.

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• 2 Mar 2010: EU General and Foreign Affairs Councils

  The European Council agenda will consist of the Europe 2020 strategy for jobs and growth and climate change. The Government welcome the presidency’s choice of topics. The UK agreed that leaders needed continuously to pay attention to economic policy—but in order to make sure that a strategic view and assessment of progress could be made, a dedicated annual economic summit was needed; otherwise, the risk was that strategic consideration of economic policy would be derailed by events. The presidency expressed the need for progress on Europe 2020 at the spring European Council, to show that the EU could deliver for its citizens.

  Climate change

  The discussion covered the 11 February informal European Council and preparations for the spring European Council. President van Rompuy expressed satisfaction with the 11 February summit, although the dominance of economic issues had left work unfinished on climate change and Haiti, which the GAC and European Council would need to follow up.

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• 2 Mar 2010: UK-Argentina Relations

  We have a productive relationship on a range of issues, including in the G20, such as climate change, sustainable development and counter-proliferation. We hope that current tensions over the Falklands will not escalate and undermine our co-operation on other issues.

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• 24 Feb 2010: Mongolia (UK Relations)

  16:46

  We should remember that Mongolia is not a wealthy country. It is the 19th largest country in terms of its geography, but the most sparsely populated. As a result it faces particular difficulties. My hon. Friend referred to the problems that Mongolia has had over the past two years—the drought and then the zud, which is the Mongol name for the very harsh winter that the country has suffered this year. I was in Moscow last week, and it felt cold enough at minus 10° C. The temperature in 90 per cent. of Mongolia is between minus 35° C and minus 40° C. That is very rough. As we heard, more than 1 million animals have died, which represents about 2 per cent. of the country’s livestock, 73 people have been transferred to hospital for frostbite and a couple of people have died. Such events are not new to Mongolia; they occur regularly, as do the problems in relation to drought. When we talk about the effects of climate change, we tend to focus on the bits of the world that we know best, but we also need to consider areas such as Mongolia. People tend to think that the warming of the world will be a good thing, but there is a real danger that Mongolia will suffer from further levels of drought, and that the intensity of the winters will get worse rather than better. Yet again, we have another reason why we need to tackle the important world issue of climate change.

  We have had a large number of high-level visits recently. The Minister for Minerals and Energy visited in December and saw the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Lewis), who would normally be here to lead this debate, but is abroad. He also met Ministers in the Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, of Energy and Climate Change, and for Business, Innovation and Skills to discuss climate change and business developments. Last February, the Minister for Education, Culture and Science also visited the UK and, as I understand it, had particularly interesting discussions with colleagues in Cambridge. In January, the Duke of York had a bilateral meeting with the President of Mongolia at Davos where he was awarded an honour for his continued service to Mongolia. I am absolutely certain that if Mongolia was to give out any more awards, the next one would go to my hon. Friend the Member for Selby.

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• 2 Feb 2010: General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council

  Spain (Moratinos) presented the priorities for their presidency, including economic recovery and sustainable growth, the post-Lisbon 2020 strategy, and climate change. We welcome the Spanish presidency’s choice of priorities, in particular the focus on economic recovery with a low carbon, social agenda at its core.

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• 29 Jan 2010: European Union in 2010

  At the heart of any sustainable recovery must be measures to assist transition to a low-carbon economy. It is essential that the political agreement on emissions reductions and climate financing reached at the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009 is now transformed effectively into a binding legal treaty. The Spanish presidency must be at the heart of EU work on this; the UK will support the presidency in ensuring agreements are turned into action.

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• 25 Jan 2010: Cyprus: Politics and Government

  I discussed both issues in my meeting with the Turkish EU Chief Negotiator, and noted that a settlement in Cyprus was a key objective for Turkey. I made clear the UK's support for Turkey's EU membership and announced jointly with the EU Chief Negotiator the establishment of a UK-Turkey joint Environmental Task Force to help Turkey meet European standards in environmental issues and climate change. I underlined the importance of Turkey's compliance with the Ankara Protocol.

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• 25 Jan 2010: Mexico: Foreign Relations

  We are working closely with Mexico on climate change ahead of the Conference Of Parties 16 in Mexico; on UN Security Council business during Mexico’s two-year term as a non-permanent member; and, on responses to the international financial crisis through G8+5 and G20 mechanisms. We also work hard to strengthen bilateral trade and investment and encourage open markets.

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• 21 Jan 2010: General Affairs Council and Foreign Affairs Council

  The Spanish presidency will present its programme and priorities. Supporting Europe’s economic recovery, in particular through developing the new EU strategy for jobs and growth (EU 2020), will be a high priority for Spain. The presidency will also focus on the international stage, with a number of full EU summits, and preparation for the UN millennium development goals summit in September. We look to Spain to provide continued EU leadership on climate change and implementing the Copenhagen accord. Finally, Spain will focus on the rights of EU citizens by implementing the Stockholm programme on Justice and Home Affairs and continue work on implementing the Lisbon treaty.

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• 21 Jan 2010: Cuba: Foreign Relations

  The UK's foreign policy towards Cuba is in line with the EU Common Position, which we agreed in 1996 and review annually each June at the European Council. Through engagement with both the Cuban Government and Cuban civil society, this policy aims to support the principles of pluralistic democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and an improvement of the living standards of the Cuban people. Specifically we hope to see concrete improvements in human rights, such as the release of all political prisoners, improved economic freedoms for all Cuban citizens and an end to restrictions on freedom of expression and independent trade unions. We work closely with our EU partners to further develop engagement with Cuba, including through the EU-Cuba political dialogue, and continue to look for opportunities to strengthen bilateral relations. We already co-operate at a working level on a number of issues such as climate change, child protection, counter-narcotics, and through scientific and cultural links.

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• 21 Jan 2010: Estonia: Embassies

  Saving the World—Policy Paper on Climate Change and Estonia: support to the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute to commission and research a policy paper on Climate Change and how it effects Estonia for production in May/June 2007

  Climate Change in Estonia—Schools Information Campaign: funding the printing and distribution of Estonian language posters on climate change, for distribution to all secondary schools in Estonia to raise awareness of climate change issues.

  Distribution of the first translation of the Executive Summary of the Stern Review in Estonia to local policy makers to help influence the climate change debate in Estonia and provide a reference tool.

  Environment Ministry attendance at a key Regional Climate Change Conference in Slovenia that focuses on the opportunities for economic growth.

  Attendance of senior researcher from Tallinn Technical university and senior specialist from Ministry of Environment on Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) Study tour in UK to increase Estonia's expertise on CCS by sharing UK's best practice and to increase general public awareness of CCS issues in relation to climate change by publishing an article written by study tour participants in well circulated Estonian press.

  Visit to Estonia by Lord Giddens to give a speech at the 25th Anniversary event for the Chevening alumni event on “The Politics of Climate Change”, with the aim of capitalising on their attendance to continue (through Lord Giddens) to work on the Estonian mindset regarding climate change issues, notably Estonian reliance on (environmentally unfriendly) oil shale.

  Four Estonian delegates participated in a seminar on Climate Change: Everybody's Business, organised by our embassy in Riga, to increase awareness of climate change among Estonian businesses with a view to positive effects on business 2009:

  towards publishing articles on climate change in 2009.

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• 21 Jan 2010: Turkey: Foreign Relations

  The UK has four key objectives as regards to Turkey. Firstly, to support Turkey's EU accession process, which strongly benefits both the EU and Turkey. Secondly, we support internal reform in Turkey to enhance the democratic process to protect human rights especially those of minorities. Thirdly, to engage with Turkey on regional issues, which include Cyprus, Afghanistan, the middle east peace process, Iran, and Iraq. Fourthly, we aim to co-operate on key international issues, such as climate change and energy security.

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• 13 Jan 2010: China

  10:48

  The hon. Member for Banbury started by referring to Copenhagen. Several hon. Members, including my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Derek Wyatt), suggested that there might have been a complete failure on the British part and that we somehow did not know what the Chinese were thinking. We certainly did. On many occasions last year, Ministers here expressed our profound concern about the direction in which China was moving in relation to climate change. Many of us tried to put the argument to China that the threat to it from climate change is significant in terms of internal migration and migration from low-lying areas around the world, and that it is in China’s interest to get it right.

  The hon. Member for Mid-Norfolk said that ambassadors sometimes do not have much wriggle room; that is also true of Chinese delegations. Perhaps if there had been more wriggle room in Copenhagen, we would have got closer to a better and stronger set of agreements. I know that many more vulnerable nations were upset that the equity argument about climate change—namely, that the poorest people in the world will be most dramatically affected by it, whether in Bangladesh or on islands in the Pacific that are likely to disappear under the ocean—did not carry as much weight with China as it perhaps should have done, especially in light of the argument that China wants a harmonious world according to its own understanding.

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• 6 Jan 2010: Russia: Foreign Relations

  Russia is an important partner, including at the UN, in the G8 and the G20. We need to work together on tackling climate change, enhancing trade relationships and energy security, and on shared foreign policy objectives, including Afghanistan, promoting peace in the Middle East, combating the proliferation of nuclear weapons and developing security in our shared neighbourhood. The Government welcome President Medvedev’s focus on the need to strengthen the rule of law in Russia. Implementation of this agenda would significantly enhance Russia’s ability to meet the standards it set itself when it joined organisations such as the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The Government would like to see a strong and dependable Russia with which we and our partners can do business on a range of global challenges. That means a Russia which plays a responsible international role, and which keeps to the international commitments it has made, including in relation to energy supplies to Ukraine and EU member states, in relation to human rights in Chechnya and across Russia and in relation to Georgia.

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• 5 Jan 2010: Australia: Foreign Relations

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State speaks to Stephen Smith, his Australian counter part on a regular basis on a full range of issues including climate change, Afghanistan, Fiji and the Commonwealth and UK-Australian relations. The last formal bilateral talks were held in the UK in November 2008. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Stephen Smith at the time of the UN General Assembly in October 2009 in New York. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State hopes to meet his Australian counterpart at the Afghanistan Conference due to be held in London in January 2010.

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• 5 Jan 2010: British Overseas Territories

  Responsibility for energy issues has been devolved to the overseas territories. I have not discussed the development of an over-arching, long-term template for energy generation in the British overseas territories with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. However, where necessary our respective Departments liaise over energy issues relating to the overseas territories.

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• 5 Jan 2010: Climate Change: Antarctic

  I refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 9 December 2009, Official Report, column 376W and on 19 October 2009, Official Report, column 1239W. As indicated previously, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has developed a new strategic science plan, Polar Science for Planet Earth. This is described in a new publication (http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/about_bas/publications/pspe_document.pdf) which identifies several critical research challenges concerning climate change and its impacts. In addition BAS is leading a major initiative (Ice2sea), funded by the EU, aimed at improving projections of the contribution of ice to future sea-level rise.

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• 5 Jan 2010: Falkland Islands: Oil

  Companies drilling in Falkland Islands waters must take the same measures they would if they were drilling in UK waters. All companies have to complete environmental impact assessments which must be approved by the Falkland Islands Government in consultation with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The Government also fund external reviews of assessments by UK institutions such as the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and the Scottish Association of Marine Science.

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See all Parliamentary Speeches Mentioning Climate