Michael Shanks MP: Climate Timeline

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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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• 16 Jan 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  Clean power by 2030 is not some ideological project, as the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Andrew Bowie), and others in the Conservative party might like to suggest. It is a critical pathway for how we deliver energy security in the long term; all our constituents have been facing a considerable cost of living crisis as a result of us not having home-grown energy security. The clean power mission is about ensuring that we not only have that energy security but tackle the climate crisis and deliver economic growth. I make no apologies for the fact that we are a Government moving at pace, because it is important that we grasp the opportunities for the implementation of both marine technologies and the many other innovative technologies that Britain can be a world leader in delivering. It is also our best opportunity to deliver cheaper energy for people across the country.

  Full debate: Marine Renewables Industry

• 7 Jan 2025: Parliamentary Speech

  Since its introduction, the capacity market has contributed to investment in just under 19 GW of new, flexible capacity needed to replace older, less efficient plant as we transition to the net zero economy. The capacity market was originally approved under European Union state aid rules for a period of 10 years. Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, a requirement in EU law for approval of up to 10 years was brought into our domestic law as part of the assimilated electricity regulation. 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 to maintain security of supply and investor confidence. This will be increasingly important as further sectors of the economy are decarbonised through the transition to net zero, increasing demand for electricity.

  Full debate: Draft Electricity Capacity Mechanism (Amendment) Regulations 2024

• 31 Dec 2024: Tweet

  RT @energygovuk: Earlier this year at COP29, the UK announced an ambitious new target to reduce our emissions by at least 81% by 2035 ???? #UK… [Source]

• 31 Dec 2024: Tweet

  @theCCCuk @StarkClimate Congratulations @StarkClimate! Very well deserved. [Source]

• 18 Dec 2024: Tweet

  RT @energygovuk: Net zero offers huge opportunities for Britain. The Climate Change Committee made 35 recommendations to UK government to… [Source]

• 17 Dec 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  It is also important that the Government are clear that we want to see a long-term sustainable future for the refinery site. That is why we invested in Project Willow, which at the moment is coming up with credible investable propositions for the site. We want to protect the workers and do whatever we can to ensure a just transition at Grangemouth and for industry right across the country, but those options need to be long-term and sustainable so that we do not drive workers back into this process again a few years down the line. We are committed to ensuring that we invest in long-term sustainable propositions for the site, and of course we will meet anyone and discuss any propositions to help make that happen.

  Full debate: Community Energy Projects

• 17 Dec 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Communities are, and will always be, able to speak about the plans for their local area, and to contribute to consultations and planning applications—we will not change anything about that. However, it is important to say that nationally important infrastructure will need to be built somewhere if we are to have the clean power future and energy security that everybody in this country needs. I gently say to the hon. Lady that, even in the most extreme statistics, less than 1% of land in this country would be used to build for solar. Either the Conservatives are in favour of keeping us on the rollercoaster of volatile fossil fuels, or they are in favour of building clean power. Her party used to be in favour of net zero, but now it seems to be running away from it at speed.

  Full debate: New Energy Infrastructure: Community Benefit Scheme

• 16 Dec 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  This Government have committed to delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating progress towards net zero, while ensuring the security of supply. Making Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030 is one of the Prime Minister’s five missions. To deliver this mission, we will increasingly rely on renewable power. The Government have set targets to double onshore wind, treble solar and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.

  The transition to clean power will see changes in the patterns of energy production and consumption, with flexibility playing an increasingly important role. In October, we published a consultation and call for evidence exploring proposals to maintain security of supply and to enable flexible generation capacity to decarbonise. Today, we build upon this work by publishing a consultation and call for evidence on proposals to modernise the capacity market rules and improve consumer-led flexibility within the capacity market.

  Full debate: Capacity Market: December Publications

• 12 Dec 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Let me first speak about the context of the debate and I will then answer some of the specific questions. I think the “why” of our being in this race and transition is important. Why are we pushing to deliver clean power by 2030? The truth is that it is an imperative if we are going to meet our long-term goal of a net zero economy and deliver economic growth and energy security. They are intrinsically linked.

  The Government received the National Energy System Operator’s advice on achieving a clean power system by 2030. It shows that this is not only achievable, but can create a cheaper, more secure system. The advice will inform the Government’s clean power 2030 action plan, which will be published imminently and will set out our route to decarbonising the electricity grid with the aims of protecting billpayers from volatile gas prices, strengthening Britain’s energy security and accelerating us towards net zero.

  The new technology unlocks deeper areas of the seabed that can benefit from stronger and more consistent winds, helping us to secure our energy supply and to deliver on our statutory decarbonisation obligations. Our floating offshore capacity is second only to Norway. At around 25 GW, we have the largest pipeline of floating offshore projects anywhere in the world. Of course, in the Celtic sea, there is enormous potential for floating offshore wind, and we are determined to take advantage of the opportunities that that represents. Earlier this year, the floating offshore wind taskforce estimated that floating offshore wind could contribute £47 billion in GVA to the UK economy by 2050 and support up to 97,000 jobs across the country, so we are hard at work, right across Government and in the private sector, to make sure that we realise the vast potential of this opportunity.

  Full debate: Floating Offshore Wind: Celtic Sea

• 10 Dec 2024: Tweet

  RT @NSTAuthority: In an historic moment on the journey to #netzero, we have today awarded the UK’s first ever carbon storage permit to the… [Source]

• 06 Dec 2024: Tweet

  What a fantastic evening at @ScotRenew’s Green Energy Awards last night. It was inspiring to celebrate the achievements of the finalists and all those working at the cutting edge of technology, innovation and development to deliver clean power for the nation. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1865111046001754220/photo/1 [Source]

• 03 Dec 2024: Tweet

  RT @SouthLanCouncil: ???? Calling all community groups! We have funding remaining for climate change and sustainability projects through the C… [Source]

• 26 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  It is a pleasure, Sir Christopher, to serve under your chairmanship. I thank the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex (Sir Bernard Jenkin) for introducing the debate, for his approach, and for the engagement we have had on the topic in the short time that I have been in this job. While I suspect we might disagree politically on a great many things, his repeated commitment to the need for net zero is important, and separates him from some hon. Members who might make the issue of grid updates part of an excuse to avoid dealing with the climate issue. I welcome that, and I was pleased to meet him and his colleagues recently to discuss the matter.

  Full debate: Electricity Grid Upgrades

• 24 Nov 2024: Tweet

  St Fergus Gas Terminal plays a massive role in our energy system. Supplying over a quarter of the UK’s natural gas and home to the exciting Acorn project that can help industry decarbonise on our mission to reach net zero. This week I visited the site to learn more ????️???? https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1860677030976594360/video/1 [Source]

• 18 Nov 2024: Tweet

  The last wind turbine has been installed at the Moray West offshore wind farm. All 160 blades were built in Hull, & when fully operational in 2025 it will provide up to 50% of Scotland's electricity & save over 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. https://twitter.com/siemensgamesa/status/1858457640336032031 [Source]

• 13 Nov 2024: Tweet

  Wales is delivering incredible renewable energy projects with huge future potential. ???????????????????????????? Great to be at the @RUKCymru Future Energy Wales conference to discuss how we can work collaboratively to deliver the solar, wind & tidal projects that will help achieve clean power by 2030. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1856741611016778201/photo/1 [Source]

• 12 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  It perhaps will not surprise the hon. Gentleman or the House that I am not going to agree with his final point. Net zero is incredibly important to deliver climate leadership, lower bills and the jobs of the future. But on biomass, we rightly expect full compliance with all regulatory obligations on biomass, and consumers rightly recognise the high standard of accountability from generators.

  Full debate: Oral Answers to Questions

  My hon. Friend is right to raise the important potential of the Celtic sea in our green energy transition. I will be in Wales tomorrow to speak at a green energy conference on exactly that question. There is huge potential in floating offshore wind. We want to bring the manufacturing jobs in the supply chain to this country as well, which is why we launched today our clean industry bonus to bring that investment here to build the factories of the future and deliver the good, clean jobs of the future.

  Full debate: Oral Answers to Questions

• 12 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The report published by the independent National Energy System Operator laid out not only that reaching our clean power mission is entirely achievable, but that it will bring down bills. The importance of the report is that it set the course for how that is possible. The reality, which the Conservative party refuses to accept, is that the only way to get us off the rollercoaster of high bills is to deliver at pace the clean energy that we know will deliver energy security and climate leadership, and bring down bills for people right across the country.

  Full debate: Clean Energy by 2030

  I would encourage the right hon. Gentleman to read the NESO report, because it sets out in great detail not only that clean power is achievable by 2030, but that it will lead to lower bills. What he says about investment misses the point: in the last few weeks, we have announced billions of pounds of private sector investment in these projects; indeed, Scottish Power has announced today that it will provide £1 billion. Companies are choosing to invest in this country, whereas they did not under the Conservative party. The reality is that once upon a time, the Conservatives recognised that the drive to net zero was important. They have abandoned that commitment now.

  Full debate: Clean Energy by 2030

• 12 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Question after question from the Conservatives shows that they do not recognise the part they played for 14 years in why we are paying higher bills than ever before. We are the only party with an ambitious plan to get us off the volatile fossil fuel markets. The Conservatives used to believe that, in our drive to net zero, we should build this infrastructure for the long term. They are now opposing it, but they will have to tell their constituents why they want to leave them exposed to rising bills.

  Full debate: Great British Energy

• 12 Nov 2024: Tweet

  Unashamedly this government is ambitious for our energy future - delivering good jobs, energy security and climate leadership. We’re taking the country forward, the Conservatives would happily take us backwards. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1856409857370239486/video/1 [Source]

• 12 Nov 2024: Tweet

  RT @Ed_Miliband: What’s the link between a wind turbine blade factory in Hull, and the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan? Let me tell you????… [Source]

• 12 Nov 2024: Tweet

  RT @Ed_Miliband: It is in Britain’s national self interest to tackle the climate crisis. It is the only way to keep our country safe. T… [Source]

• 11 Nov 2024: Tweet

  RT @FCDOGovUK: The UK will be pushing for ambitious climate goals at COP29. The clean energy transition will create new jobs, economic gro… [Source]

• 09 Nov 2024: Tweet

  It was a real pleasure to join this group who are hosting a conference on climate change and engaging young people in discussions about our energy future. https://twitter.com/seemamalhotra1/status/1854885807795966259 [Source]

• 08 Nov 2024: Tweet

  The effective transportation and storage of renewable energy is vital as we move to clean power and increasing our energy security. This week I met with @ScottishPower @SPEnergyNetwork and @ZenobeEnergy to learn more about the role subsea links and battery storage plays in this. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1854934927327858782/photo/1 [Source]

• 6 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  The Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, my noble Friend Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE, has today made the following statement:

  Full debate: Energy Infrastructure Planning

• 6 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  The warm homes plan, which we announced in our manifesto and on which we are moving forward, is about transforming homes right across the country by making them cheaper and making energy clean to run, rolling out upgrades from new insulation to solar and heat pumps. We will partner with local and combined authorities, and the devolved Governments where possible, to roll out the plan. That was in the Budget speech last week, in which an initial £3.4 billion was announced towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency over the next three years. That includes £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes, which, as I said, will help more than 225,000 homes.

  While we are discussing the hon. Gentleman, he made a very good point about remembering the different types of fuel that households use, and the real issue for off-grid homes—particularly in the north of Scotland, but right across the UK. Again, fuel poverty is devolved, so some of those questions are for the Scottish Government to answer—I know that the questions will be put to them—but we are aware that in England, for which the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is responsible, 12% of rural households are in fuel poverty, and those are the ones with the largest fuel poverty gap. Tackling those particular challenges in the rural context is therefore really important.

  The hon. Gentleman spoke earlier about engaging with the Northern Irish Executive. I have met both Ministers with responsibility for different parts of the energy policy—most recently, in fact, in the inter-ministerial working group across all the devolved nations. One of the key topics that we discussed was decarbonisation, particularly of such households, so we absolutely are taking that issue forward.

  Full debate: Fuel Poverty

• 6 Nov 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  This is a complex issue with a number of layers to it. I thank the hon. Member for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey for raising it again. The challenge of how we lower bills for all is part of the energy trilemma that we are facing around how we demonstrate climate leadership, improve our energy security and lower bills in the long term. It is one that we are tackling head on, and we are determined as a Government to ensure that we do what we can to lower bills for all households across the country—in the highlands and islands, and right across the UK.

  Full debate: Energy Rebates: Highlands and Islands

• 05 Nov 2024: Tweet

  RT @ofgem: To help meet #NetZero targets, we must get clean, secure and homegrown electricity into the grid. Our use of fossil fuels contri… [Source]

• 04 Nov 2024: Tweet

  Today @alasdairallan and I heard from Scotland’s clean energy sector on how to improve the outdated planning system for large energy projects. Our proposed reforms with @ScotGovNetZero will help to streamline this process and give communities a voice ???? https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-scottish-energy-projects-unlocked-to-deliver-clean-power https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1853434012934504503/photo/1 [Source]

• 29 Oct 2024: Tweet

  Great British Energy is the right idea for our time - right for bills, right for energy security, right for climate leadership and overwhelmingly backed by the public. It's been a privilege to steer the Bill through the Commons and I'm grateful to everyone who has played a part. https://x.com/mgshanks/status/1851368908659552589/video/1 [Source]

• 28 Oct 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  I would like to advise the House that today I am laying draft regulations to implement two amendments to the Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme in time for the next allocation round, supporting the Government’s clean energy superpower mission to deliver clean power by 2030 and accelerate to net zero.

  Full debate: Contracts for Difference

• 28 Oct 2024: Tweet

  We've launched a consultation on reforms to help speed up the planning system for new energy projects in Scotland. By working with @ScotGovNetZero we will ensure the system is fit for purpose as we work together to deliver our clean energy future. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-scottish-energy-projects-unlocked-to-deliver-clean-power [Source]

• 23 Oct 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  Internationally, fusion energy could be transformational, both as a long-term solution to energy security and, in this most decisive of decades, in tackling the climate crisis. This is a low-carbon, safe and abundant source of energy, which does not require huge amounts of land or natural resources for its production. That makes it the perfect power source for nations have relied on imported fossil fuels, or that do not have the capacity to deploy renewables at the scale many will need. Those are the same countries that are most likely to be affected by climate change. In other words, as global energy demand grows—and we know that it will considerably in the decades ahead—fusion energy could be critical to keeping net zero within reach, as well as ensuring that citizens everywhere have access to power.

  The Government are unashamedly pro-growth, pro-business and pro-innovation, and fusion is a great example of all three. It is such an important part of our plans because it covers all those points, and is a real opportunity for us to make progress and become the global lead in a genuinely transformative technology. That could ensure our energy security, drive huge growth and combat climate change here and far beyond our shores. STEP could, in short, be the UK’s Apollo moment, and I cannot wait to see where the fusion journey takes us.

  Full debate: Fusion Energy

• 23 Oct 2024: Tweet

  RT @FCDOGovUK: International climate finance is working. But there is more to be done to address the needs of developing countries at the… [Source]

• 22 Oct 2024: Parliamentary Speech

  I thank hon. Members for the tone of today’s debate and for their contributions. Our starting point, which the Government have been very clear on from day one, is that we want to deliver clean power by 2030. We want to do that for a number of reasons: to protect people from the wild price spikes that they suffered because of the volatility of global fuel markets, to tackle climate change—a lot of the discussion today on the importance of agriculture misses the importance of tackling climate change, which is currently having an enormous impact on farms right across the country and, if we do not act faster now, will continue to have an even greater impact—and to deliver the energy security the country needs.That will involve a diverse range of projects and technologies

  The Minister always engages in a collegiate manner, which I welcome. On rooftop solar, I am sure, despite the disagreements today, that we would all agree that more solar on rooftops is crucial for tackling the climate crisis energy bills. Could he therefore confirm that the future homes standard will require all new homes to include solar panels as standard?

  I want to come back to the point about balance. It is key in a lot of the contributions made today, and indeed in other debates on this subject over the past few months. We have to find a way to balance the environment and our need to protect nature with supporting local communities to make sure that we can deliver cheaper, more secure energy in the future and tackle our climate change objectives. But new energy infrastructure is important in every single one of those points, so we have to build that infrastructure. The question is how to ensure we get that balance right. That is why we have announced that we will have a land use plan—something the previous Government failed to do. But it is also why we need to plan a lot of that infrastructure much more carefully.

  Full debate: Large-scale Energy Projects and Food Security