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Michael Shanks's Climate-related Tweets, Speeches & Votes

We've found the following climate-related tweets, speeches & votes by Michael Shanks in the last 90 days

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• 23 Apr 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  I am conscious of the time, but I want to reflect on two brief points that the hon. Member for Aberdeen North made in her closing remarks. The first is about listening to communities, which is important, and I will continue to do that, as will my colleagues. The second is about the oversight and management of the plan, which is a question we are looking at. I am always slightly resistant to simply saying that setting up a taskforce or a commission is the answer, but the point that the Just Transition Commission made, and that the hon. Lady also made, is right: we need to grasp it at the heart of Government, and we are actively looking at that.

  Full debate: North Sea Oil and Gas Workers: Transitional Support

• 2 Apr 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  The nationally significant infrastructure project regime is governed by the Planning Act 2008, whereby decisions on development consent are made by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The NSIP regime applies to larger projects, with a megawatt threshold determining which energy generating projects are deemed nationally significant. Following submission into the NSIP process, an extensive examination period will commence, where interested parties—including local authorities, people of office and the general public—can make written or oral representations to the examination, ensuring that the voices of communities are heard during the decision-making process.

  This legislation is crucial to achieving our net zero commitments. GE Vernova, a renewables company in Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages, struggled with really long waiting times for an expansion of its site, but it has recently been approved, which means good new jobs for people who live in my constituency. That exemplifies the importance of streamlining the planning process, which will eventually lead to lower bills for people in my constituency and around the country. Does the Minister agree that this legislation is integral to developing the jobs we need across the country, and would he like to come and visit GE Vernova with me?

  This instrument is about making sure that onshore wind projects in England that offer capacity of over 100 MW will be eligible to be consented under the regime. It reflects advances in turbine technology over the last decade, with modern turbines being larger and more powerful. Reintroducing onshore wind into the NSIP regime will provide an appropriate route for nationally significant projects seeking planning consent where they are of a certain scale and complexity, so that local impacts can be carefully balanced against national benefits and the need to meet the UK’s wider decarbonisation goals. This will provide greater confidence for developers and grow the pipeline of potential projects in England once again.

  The approach set out in the order is a continuation of the Minister’s work to build the clean energy infrastructure that the country needs. I agree that the capacity threshold and the reintroduction of onshore wind generation stations into the definition of nationally significant infrastructure projects will help deliver the triple benefits of decarbonisation, energy security and job creation. However, as the Minister knows, Cornwall is a leader in the roll-out of onshore wind and solar energy. Does he agree that the order will further opportunities for renewable energy growth across Cornwall that would have been ignored by the flat Earth climate change deniers in the Conservative party?

  My hon. Friend is of course right about the Conservative party’s scepticism of a policy that it used to support so wholeheartedly, and one that has delivered economic growth right across the country. It has now turned its face against that; I am not sure whether that is flat Earth or not. I am sure that the shadow Minister will regale us with his long list of commitments in this space, but it is clear that the drive to net zero is delivering industrial opportunities, jobs, manufacturing and investment in communities that have suffered for so long under economic decline, as well as delivering on our climate ambitions and energy security. That is the right path for us to be on.

  This instrument is another important step forward in delivering our clean power mission, supporting the deployment of onshore wind and solar and establishing the UK as a clean energy superpower. It supports all our work as a Government on delivering an effective planning system—one that ensures that applications are processed efficiently through an appropriate regime and that avoids distortionary effects on deployment. The measures ultimately aim to support our future energy security and resilience, alongside our 2030 goals and wider decarbonisation targets. I commend the order to the House.

  Full debate: Onshore Wind and Solar Generation

  I will respond briefly to the points raised about nature and other issues. The hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Pippa Heylings) put it particularly well: the public want us to take action on the climate crisis. The Conservative party might want to pretend that that does not exist any more, but it does. The greatest threat to nature in this country is climate change. We will tackle that, but in doing so, we will deliver energy security.

  On the point made by the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Andrew Bowie), let me say that neither of us Scottish MPs will have a vote in the elections in four weeks’ time, but people will have the choice between the Conservative party, which has still not owned up to any of the mistakes that it made in 14 years, and the party that is trying to fix the mess. They can choose between a party that is moving forward to deliver economic growth and energy security, and a party that would rather hold us back and keep us on the rollercoaster of volatile fossil fuels. Today’s vote is a chance for us to demonstrate that we want that economic opportunity, and want to deliver energy security and climate leadership. I urge hon. Members on all sides of the House to support us today.

  Full debate: Onshore Wind and Solar Generation

• 02 Apr 2025: Tweet

  RT @CoopParty: ???? Solar energy is powering Britain’s future.⚡ Community energy projects to generate community-owned, clean green energy are… [Source]

• 25 Mar 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  I am pleased that the Great British Energy Bill has returned to this House. I would like to thank all Members of both Houses for their scrutiny of this important legislation. I extend my thanks in particular to the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, for his invaluable support and collaborative approach in guiding the Bill through the other place.

  Full debate: Great British Energy Bill

• 24 Mar 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  The UK Government will continue to fund the local net zero hubs in England, with a total of £6.8 million for existing hubs. These offer a free-to-use service for local authorities to access the expertise and resource to get clean energy projects up and running.

  Full debate: Great British Energy: Rooftop Solar Power

• 24 Mar 2025: Tweet

  Good to join the North Sea Transition Forum today and hear about the work going on by the various taskforces to deliver the skills, innovation and new infrastructure required to decarbonise the North Sea. I'm grateful for all the important work the members of the Forum do. https://twitter.com/NSTAuthority/status/1904183290489188518 [Source]

• 23 Mar 2025: Tweet

  RT @Ed_Miliband: Net zero is the economic opportunity of the 21st century. Climate action is essential to growing our economy, creating go… [Source]

• 18 Mar 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  I am glad the hon. Gentleman draws attention to the London power tunnels. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have visited them recently and they are a fantastic example of engineering and of what we can achieve if we set ambitious targets in this area. I gently disagree with the hon. Gentleman on the wider point, however, as we are going to have to build infrastructure across the country to get the benefits of the renewable energy that we are generating, and battery storage is important for that. Of course communities have a voice through the planning system and it would be wrong for me to comment on individual applications, but the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues must remember that we cannot simply block every infrastructure project that needs to be built. We need to build for the economic growth of the country and for our energy security.

  Full debate: Electricity Grid Decarbonisation

  The bottom line on all of this is that the leader of the hon. Member’s party earlier today moved away from the commitments that she had made on net zero. Just a few years ago, she said that

  They recognised then the importance of this net zero transition; now they are running away from how we deliver on it.

  Full debate: Electricity Grid Decarbonisation

  The Select Committee Chair makes an important point. Along with the Minister for Energy Consumers, my hon. Friend the Member for Peckham (Miatta Fahnbulleh), I am looking at all options, because it is important that we bring down bills and that we are building an energy system that protects us from the volatile fossil fuel markets in the future. There are trade-offs to be made when rebalancing that we need to be aware of, in particular whether a diminishing number of gas customers can pay bills if we were to transfer levies, but we are looking at all options and are, of course, looking at how we review with Ofgem the wider question of standing charges to make sure we bring down bills. My hon. Friend is right to say of the journey that we are on—and that the Conservative party used to be on, and on which there used to be consensus—that our transition to net zero is important for energy security and for the climate, but also for protecting bills in the long term.

  Full debate: Electricity Grid Decarbonisation

  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is important to recognise that where once there was consensus in this country on how we tackle the climate crisis and, crucially, how we deliver the economic and industrial advantage, that consensus seems to have been splintered by the Conservative party. It was only two years ago that the leader of that party made an important point, which I agree with strongly, when she said

  Full debate: Electricity Grid Decarbonisation

• 18 Mar 2025: Tweet

  Not long ago the Tory leader was calling for more investment in net zero so the UK wasn't on the backfoot internationally. Now they're ripping up the consensus. We'll get on with delivering the economic growth, industrial investment, good jobs and lower bills the country needs. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1902009046187565085/video/1 [Source]

• 07 Mar 2025: Tweet

  This UK Government is determined to reset our relationships with the devolved governments. Yesterday in Belfast I had the pleasure of joining my Ministerial colleagues from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to discuss shared priorities on energy and climate change. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1898059512944238913/photo/1 [Source]

• 07 Mar 2025: Tweet

  Great to visit @UlsterUni with @PutneyFleur while in Northern Ireland yesterday and hear about their innovative work on sustainable technologies. Across the UK we are working together to harness the best research and innovation to achieve net zero. https://twitter.com/ulsteruni/status/1898048655631786209 [Source]

• 5 Mar 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  The statutory deadline for the decision on the Viking CCS pipeline is 5 March 2025.

  Full debate: Viking CCS Pipeline: Development Consent Application

• 27 Feb 2025: Tweet

  For the first time ever, wind generated more power than gas last year. We are harnessing Britain’s abundant wind power to protect billpayers, make us energy secure, and tackle the climate crisis. This milestone marks an irreversible tipping point towards clean power. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1895153688173519358/photo/1 [Source]

• 26 Feb 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath) made the following statement today:

  The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has agreed to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority:

  Full debate: Management of Italian Nuclear Materials in the UK

• 26 Feb 2025: Tweet

  SNP asks why the government hasn't met a target set for 2030 seven months in. Let's take a look at the SNP's track record on delivery after 18 YEARS: ✏️close the attainment gap: fail❌ ????‍♂️protect police numbers: fail❌ ????reduce delayed discharge: fail❌ ????climate targets: fail❌ [Source]

• 24 Feb 2025: Tweet

  RT @Ed_Miliband: Clean energy and net zero ???? good jobs and economic growth for Britain https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/24/britain-net-zero-economy-booming-cbi-green-sector-jobs-energy-security [Source]

• 21 Feb 2025: Tweet

  RT @ScotCoopParty: Good to hear @mgshanks say that ownership matters and highlight the importance of community ownership of renewable energ… [Source]

• 13 Feb 2025: Tweet

  It was great to join @SpainChamberUK recently to discuss the importance of ????????UK-Spanish???????? relations and making the UK the best place to invest. We have a shared agenda to tackle climate change, build clean power systems and invest in supply chains. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1890002054665695716/photo/1 [Source]

• 11 Feb 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  That is why we believe so firmly in our clean power by 2030 mission, which, by creating home-grown renewable energy, will help us to reduce our dependence on volatile fuel markets and will protect bill payers for good. Great British Energy will play a vital role in that mission by accelerating our deployment of clean energy so that Britain can become a clean energy superpower. Crucially, it will also invest in the supply chains that bring manufacturing jobs for renewable energy to our country.

  The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Helen Maguire) spoke very passionately about climate change. That is really important. The mission we are on is about building an energy system for the future that gives us energy security, but it is also about tackling the climate crisis, which we can no longer think of as a future threat. As we look around the world, we can see from just this year alone that it is a present reality. It is increasingly difficult to read the statistics and not think that we should be taking more decisive action.

  On the point about rebalancing—how we move electricity costs, in particular, on to gas—that is also a challenge. We want the number of people who use gas to decline in the coming years, as we decarbonise. The challenge will be making sure that we do not put charges on to a dwindling number of customers. Potentially and inadvertently, some of the poorest people in the country might be those who are the last to convert from gas to alternatives. I do not, for a second, dismiss the points that have been raised; they are incredibly important. However, I want to be very clear that we are working relentlessly in this Parliament on how we reduce the wholesale costs, and we want to make sure that it follows through on to consumers’ bills.

  Full debate: Cost of Energy

• 10 Feb 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  In coming to this view, we have taken advice from the National Energy System Operator on security of supply, analysed the effect on consumers of support for biomass versus alternatives, looked at issues around subsidy and sustainability in existing arrangements, and considered longer-term issues around decarbonisation.

  Fourthly, we have looked at issues around decarbonisation. Our finding is that there is a potential role for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or power BECCS, but realistically this will take time to implement and therefore cannot form the primary basis of this decision.

  To help that process, we are setting up an independent review to consider how respective greenhouse gas removal, including large-scale power BECCS and direct air carbon capture and storage, can assist the UK in meeting our net zero targets and ensuring security of supply, out to 2050. Further details of the review will be shared in due course.

  Full debate: Drax Power Station: Biomass

• 10 Feb 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  In coming to the view I will express today, we have taken advice from the National Energy System Operator on questions of security of supply, analysed the effect on consumers of support for biomass versus the alternatives, looked at issues around subsidy and sustainability in the existing arrangements, and considered longer term issues around decarbonisation.

  Fourthly, we have looked at issues with decarbonisation. Our finding is that there is a potential role for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage—or power BECCS—but realistically this will take time to implement and therefore cannot form the primary basis of this decision. On the basis of that assessment, and given the circumstances that we inherited, the clear evidence is that Drax is important for delivering a secure, value-for-money power system in the period 2027-31. But we have also concluded that we cannot allow Drax to operate in the way in which it has before, or with the level of subsidy that it received in the past. On that basis, we have secured heads of terms that will form the basis of a very different agreement with Drax for support during the period 2027 to 2031.

  We will do the work that was not done by the previous Administration on strong and credible low-carbon alternatives, so that in four years’ time we will have proper options. To help that process, we are setting up an independent review to consider how options for greenhouse gas removal, including large-scale power BECCS and direct air carbon capture and storage, can assist the UK in meeting our net zero targets and ensure security of supply out to 2050. The review will take representations widely on the issues and report back in due course.

  Full debate: Biomass Generation

• 10 Feb 2025: Tweet

  RT @AnasSarwar: The transition to net zero is a chance to create decent, high skilled jobs for generations. It’s not an either/or choice… [Source]

• 07 Feb 2025: Tweet

  RT @AnasSarwar: The transition to net zero is a chance to create decent, high skilled jobs for generations and drive investment in Scotland… [Source]

• 4 Feb 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Mr Twigg, and to be back so soon in the year to talk about the capacity market. The draft instrument, which was laid before the House on 16 December 2024, seeks to make technical improvements and changes to the capacity market scheme—the Government’s main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply in Great Britain. To achieve clean power by 2030, electricity market reform is critical; to paraphrase our clean power action plan, we must reform the capacity market to provide clear and viable routes to decarbonisation for unabated gas, enable low-carbon flexible capacity and incentivise investment in existing capacity.

  Since its introduction in 2014, the capacity market has contributed to investment in just under 19 GW of new, flexible capacity, which is needed to replace older, less efficient plants as we transition to a net zero economy. To date, the capacity market has been successful in ensuring that Great Britain has adequate electricity capacity to meet demand, and it continues to be required in order to maintain security of supply and provide investor confidence. To ensure that the capacity market continues to function effectively, we regularly make adjustments to the implementing legislation, based on our day-to-day experiences of operating the scheme. On that note, let me turn to the details of the draft instrument.

  In conclusion, the draft instrument introduces a number of technical provisions and changes to enable the continued efficient operation of the capacity market, so that it can continue to deliver on its objectives. These reforms will be critical on our pathway to achieving clean power by 2030. They will improve security of supply and, by accelerating investment in low-carbon technologies, increase the role that those play in the capacity market. We need clear routes for the decarbonisation of unabated gas and for the rapid acceleration of low-carbon, flexible capacity, and today we make another step towards that. I commend the regulations to the Committee.

  Full debate: Draft Electricity Capacity (Amendment) Regulations 2025

• 3 Feb 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  We outlined in the clean power action plan that between 23 GW and 27 GW of grid-scale batteries could be required to meet our decarbonisation goal by 2030. Not far from my constituency, one of Europe’s largest battery plants was announced recently, so this infrastructure is being shared across the UK.

  The hon. Gentleman and other hon. Members spoke about food security, and I make it clear that we take the view that food security is national security. It is critically important that we maintain food security across the country. Even if we built out all the solar that we currently expect to build, it would still take up less than 1% of the UK’s agricultural land, so we do not see food production and renewable energy as competing priorities. The two can co-exist.

  We all want to see a resilient and healthy food system. The hon. Members for Beaconsfield (Joy Morrissey) and for Mid Buckinghamshire both mentioned floodplains. Tackling climate change will be one of the most important ways to reduce the frequency of floods in such areas, which is crucial for maintaining arable farmland. We have to tackle the climate crisis if we are to maintain our food security, but we also want a balanced approach to land use.

  The hon. Gentleman mentioned the land use framework, which was announced last week. Unsurprisingly perhaps—far be it from me to say this— The Daily Telegraph misleadingly suggested that all of this farmland will be reused for renewable energy projects. That is not what the framework says. It says there are a number of uses for that land in relation to sustainability, such as where there are peatlands or particular environmental schemes that could help to lock in carbon, support biodiversity and wildlife, and help us to meet our climate obligations. It is not that the land will be used to build energy projects, as the article wrongly said.

  Full debate: Energy Development Proposals: Mid Buckinghamshire

• 29 Jan 2025: Tweet

  This government is working to make Britain the best place to invest. Yesterday I met with some of the biggest investors in Britain’s energy infrastructure to discuss the vital role gas plays in our economy and energy system as we transition to net zero. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1884532320016777621/photo/1 [Source]