Climate Change

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle Excerpts

Tuesday 29th June 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I cannot give the noble Lord precise dates, but we are committed to publishing the strategy and plans that I mentioned earlier, which will be out later this year. We are currently finalising them within government. So I ask the noble Lord to be a little bit patient and wait for those documents.

[Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (GP)]

My Lords, following the publication of the committee’s report, the Independent quoted a government spokesperson saying that

“any suggestion we have been slow to deliver climate action is widely off the mark.”

Does that dismissive approach to a report from an independent and highly respected committee, chaired of course by a former Tory Minister, reflect the way in which the Government are going to approach the formal response that the Minister told us would arrive by 15 October?

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

I understand why the noble Baroness wants us to go further and faster, but I remind her that we have already driven down emissions by 44%, which is the fastest reduction of any G7 country, and that we have set some of the most ambitious targets in the world for the future. So, while I am sure she is going to push us to go further, I think we have made good progress so far.