Sustainable Development Goals Summit

Lord Howell of Guildford Excerpts

Thursday 21st September 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Mott (Con)]

I thank the noble Lord for that question and pay tribute to him for his work as co-chair of the APPG on the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. It is not uncommon for Prime Ministers not always to attend this particular summit. In the last 20 years there have been eight separate occasions when the British Prime Minister has not attended. We sent a high-level delegation, led by the Deputy Prime Minister, and a number of members of the Government, particularly from the FCDO. On the noble Lord’s point about climate change, since 2011, UK international climate finance investments have helped 95 million people to cope with the effects of climate change, provided 58 million people with improved access to clean energy, reduced or avoided 60 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and leveraged £5.2 billion of private finance.

[Lord Howell of Guildford (Con)]

Does my noble friend agree that, while these goals and targets are splendid, there is the small matter of what the UN can do to improve its effectiveness in seeing that they come about? Does he agree with President Zelensky, who remarks that, with Russia about to become chair of the Security Council, the UN in its present form is proving relatively toothless? Is it not time for those who see this, including the British Government, to speak up more clearly about how the much-needed reform of the UN can be brought about so that it is more effective in dealing with today’s problems, not just security problems?

[Lord Mott (Con)]

My noble friend makes an important point. It would be wrong for me to stand here today and go into too much detail on the question that he has asked, but I will certainly take it back to the department and ensure that he gets a full answer.