Oral Answers to Questions

Laura Kyrke-Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 26th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Chris Curtis (Milton Keynes North) (Lab)]

11. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to demonstrate leadership on climate change.

[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

14. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to demonstrate leadership on climate change.

[The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr David Lammy)]

I was proud to join Ministers across Government to show UK leadership on the climate and nature crisis at COP29. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced our ambitious 2035 emissions reduction target, and I reaffirmed our commitment to the global south through £11.6 billion in climate finance.

[Mr Lammy]

It was important that our Prime Minister was the only G7 Prime Minister to attend COP. My hon. Friend will recall that, last year, the Prime Minister at the time did not attend. It is hugely important that we reach the £300 billion for climate finance, which will help the global south get to clean energy. We hope that our global clean power alliance will be able to work with them, as they now have the money to do it.

[Laura Kyrke-Smith]

The world’s forests are the lungs of the earth, but we are losing them at an alarming rate. An area the size of Azerbaijan, where COP29 was hosted, is destroyed every year. Will the Foreign Secretary explain what the Government are doing to preserve the world’s forests and to support those who protect them?

[Mr Lammy]

I was very pleased to speak at COP on the issue of forests and to join inspirational indigenous leaders on that subject. That is why we found £3 billion for nature, of which £1.5 billion is dedicated to work on forests.