Emma Reynolds MP: Climate-Related Speeches In Parliament

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Emma Reynolds's Speeches In Parliament Related to Climate

We've found 6 Parliamentary debates in which Emma Reynolds has spoken about climate-related matters.

Here are the relevant sections of their speeches.

• 6 Feb 2025: Low-income Countries: Debt Cancellation

  15:59

  I also want to thank my hon. Friend the Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill (Bell Ribeiro-Addy) for raising crucial points about the situation that many low-income countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate change find themselves in. I will say a little more about that, too.

  There were a number of questions about climate, including from my hon. Friend the Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill, and I want to make a few comments about that. To strengthen the resilience of vulnerable countries and free up fiscal space when responding to shocks caused by climate change, the UK has led the way in encouraging the broader adoption of climate resilient debt clauses, which suspend debt repayments, on a cost-neutral basis, in the wake of exogenous shocks. We welcome creditors who have committed to providing CRDCs, and encourage others to follow suit.

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• 30 Jan 2025: Finance Bill (Fourth sitting)

  14:00

  It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz. The clause makes changes to the main rates of the climate change levy, or CCL, with effect from 1 April 2026. The Government are increasing the main rates of CCL on gas, electricity and solid fuels by the retail prices index to maintain the incentive for businesses and the public sector to be more energy efficient.

  Since 2001, the CCL has encouraged businesses and the public sector to be energy efficient by adding a tax on the non-domestic supply of energy. The Government have announced a national mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerate our journey to net zero, and improvements in energy and resource efficiency will play a significant role in reducing industrial emissions in the 2020s. Delivering on this mission will help to make the UK energy independent, protect billpayers, create good jobs and tackle the climate crisis.

  The changes made by the clause will increase CCL rates on gas, electricity and solid fuels by RPI with effect from April next year. Non-domestic energy supply users will see an increase on their CCL bill of around 0.025p per kWh of gas or electricity supplied. The rate on solid fuels will increase by 0.2p per kg. However, participants of the climate change agreement scheme are eligible to pay reduced CCL rates in return for meeting negotiated energy-efficiency and carbon targets. The CCA scheme enables energy-intensive industries to receive discounts of up to 92% on their CCL bill. The new six-year scheme, announced on 16 October, will provide an estimated £1.9 billion of relief to 2,600 businesses in 53 industrial sectors over its lifetime. Overall, we expect a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the clause compared with freezing the rates.

  In conclusion, the changes made by the clause will help to incentivise businesses to improve their energy efficiency, thereby progressing the Government’s climate objectives, which are vital for the UK’s long-term economic prosperity and energy security. I commend the clause to the Committee.

  As the Minister said, the clause amends the main rates of the climate change levy from April 2026, in line with RPI, for electricity, gas and other taxable commodities, while continuing to freeze the rate for LPG. We will not oppose the measures in the clause.

  I was pleased to see the Government confirm their plans to extend the climate change agreement scheme at the Budget. The scheme allows energy-intensive industries to claim a discount on the climate change levy, subject to taking steps towards increasing their energy efficiency and reducing emissions. At autumn statement 2023, we announced a new six-year CAA scheme, and I am genuinely pleased that the Government have chosen to reaffirm our announcement and take that forward, following consultation.

  However, as the Minister may expect, I want to raise an issue with her. It has been raised at oral questions, so will not be a surprise to her. There have been several reports in recent weeks about the UK chemicals industry that are directly relevant to climate change and the CCA scheme, as the Minister will know better than me. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned that the UK chemicals industry is at risk of “extinction”. His firm, INEOS, closed its synthetic ethanol plant at Grangemouth this month, which will result in the loss of many jobs. That was the last remaining synthetic ethanol plant in the country. Given the ongoing concerns, I would be grateful if the Minister could provide an update on what consideration has been given to the UK chemicals industry in calibrating these policies.

  The shadow Minister asked me about the UK chemicals industry. As he said, it is a very valuable sector of our economy. It is obviously included in the climate change agreement scheme, which exists to ensure that businesses for which energy makes up a larger proportion of their operating costs, and that are at higher risk of carbon leakage, are supported to make changes to their processes to reduce their energy intensity. The example he provided is concerning, but we have introduced measures to help such industries to cope with the fact that they are energy intensive. I hope that answers his question. I do not know whether the Chancellor has met representatives of the sector, but I am happy to write to him on that.

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• 3 Sep 2024: Oral Answers to Questions

  I welcome my hon. Friend to this House, because he brings a great deal of expertise on green steel from his previous career. This Government’s plan to launch the national wealth fund is precisely to create investment across the country in some very important strategic industries, and that includes decarbonisation of steel and the steel industry.

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• 4 Feb 2013: European Union (Approvals) Bill [Lords]

  18:48

  The draft decision to give legally binding effect to the online version of the Official Journal of the European Union—notwithstanding the necessity to ensure that arrangements are in place for an electronic signature to be added to the online version to ensure authenticity—has come quite late in the day. Given that we are well into the 21st century—even if some hon. Members might wish to dispute this, or wish to go back in time—and given that the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice reminded us, with a little help, that there are 27 member states of the EU and 23 official languages published on a daily basis, the proposal for an online legal version might have been made earlier. We welcome the decision and support the Government in signing up to it. We are sure that it will facilitate a more efficient and economical legal publication and communication of legislation, other adopted Acts, information and notices, European Court of Justice judgments and invitations to tender for contracts. Given the climate change legislation we passed in government and the EU targets we have signed up to, I hope that printing fewer paper versions of the Official Journal will go some way to contributing to reaching those targets.

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• 12 Sep 2012: Aerospace Industry

  15:00

  I want to follow up the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham made about the EU’s emissions trading scheme. Aerospace companies are investing to reduce the emissions that their aircraft produce and are producing ever-lighter and more fuel-efficient aircraft, but it is absolutely essential that we strike the right balance between tackling climate change and ensuring that European rules—I am an admitted pro-European, so I am in favour of some European rules—do not disadvantage European aerospace companies to the benefit of non-European ones.

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• 8 Dec 2011: European Council

  17:11

  “nutters, anti-Semites, people who deny climate change exists and homophobes”.

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See all Parliamentary Speeches Mentioning Climate