The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Rory Stewart)

I attended the EU Environment Council in Brussels on 4 March along with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Climate Change, Lord Bourne. The Scottish Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Dr Aileen McLeod MSP, also attended Council. I would like to update the House on the matters discussed.

Follow-up to COP 21 ( climate change)

The Council welcomed the presidency’s summary of the implications of the Paris agreement with a number of member states criticising the Commission’s communication for lacking sufficient positive messages to maintain the momentum of Paris. The UK, supported by other member states, emphasised the importance of 2020 as a moment for raising global ambition. A number of other member states expressed their support for the EU increasing its ambition in light of Paris. However, some member states noted this was not the time to discuss raising the EU’s mitigation ambition. In response the Commission confirmed their view that the EU needed to focus now on the implementation of existing commitments.

Over lunch, Ministers discussed the ratification of the Paris agreement where the UK confirmed that ratification would only be possible following completion of the negotiations on effort sharing.

[Source]