Atmospheric Carbon

Lord Howell of Guildford Excerpts

Tuesday 11th June 2013 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, I can reassure the noble Baroness that it remains very much a commitment for all G8 leaders. This year, under our G8 presidency, the Foreign Ministers will consider the wider security risk presented by changing climate. It has not gone off the agenda. It will be discussed, but in a different forum.

[Lord Howell of Guildford]

Is my noble friend aware that Mauna Loa, mentioned in the Question, is, measured from the seabed, one of the highest mountains on earth, higher than Mount Everest? The top of it is often in the clouds and I am afraid that some of the discussion about this issue is in the same position. I am sure she is aware that the most rapid reduction in CO₂ is being achieved currently in the United States, which has gone very rapidly from coal to gas. If we really want to get our CO₂ emissions rapidly down once the recession is over, is there not a case for concentrating in the short and medium term on developing the gas economy as rapidly as possible, thus reducing CO₂ emissions, cheapening our power and encouraging economic growth and recovery?

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, my noble friend is right that gas will have an important role to play and will continue to make a contribution to our energy mix.