Atmospheric Carbon

Lord Wigley Excerpts

Tuesday 11th June 2013 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Wigley]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to address the increase in the level of atmospheric carbon recently recorded by the monitoring station at Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Baroness Verma)]

My Lords, I am aware that this spring, for the first time, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels briefly reached 400 parts per million in some parts of the world, compared with pre-industrial levels of approximately 280 parts per million. Domestically, the UK has committed to achieve at least an 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050. Internationally, through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Government are working towards adopting an ambitious and legally binding global deal in 2015, increasing mitigation ambition in the period up to 2020, and continuing to build a climate regime that will ensure that countries’ commitments are measurable, transparent and comparable.

[Lord Wigley]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that the last time atmospheric carbon hit the 400 parts per million level was 3 million years ago when the Arctic was free of ice and sea levels were 40 metres higher than they are today? Given the comments of the Environment Minister, Owen Paterson, on “Any Questions?” last Friday, which suggested that he is in denial about the contribution of carbon to climate change, can she give an assurance that the Government will stick by their policy and confirm that they recognise that the greatest contributor to climate change is in fact carbon? That is the opinion of the overwhelming majority of the scientific community. Will she put it to the Government that this issue should be high on the agenda at the G8 meeting next week in Northern Ireland?

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord that a large majority of scientists around the world agree that there is evidence of global warming through carbon emissions. We as a Government remain committed to reducing carbon emissions and I hope that my first Answer gave the noble Lord some reassurance on that.