Climate Change Agreement

Matthew Pennycook Excerpts

Monday 14th December 2015 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd]

I reassure my hon. Friend that the big influence on our CO₂ emissions is generally from the power sector and industry. We will monitor them constantly to enable there to be continued reductions.

[Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) (Lab)]

I also commend the Secretary of State and her officials for the part that they played in securing the Paris agreement. With that agreement in place, Britain will need to be more ambitious, if anything, when it comes to emissions reductions yet the Government are struggling to meet their renewables target, particularly when it comes to heat and transport. As in so many areas, the Chancellor ultimately calls the shots, but will the right hon. Lady let the House know what progress she has made in persuading the Secretary of State for Transport to do more to decarbonise that sector?

[Amber Rudd]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right: the challenge for the renewables target is heat and transport. I reassure him that I am working closely with the Secretaries of State for Transport and for Communities and Local Government to put together a plan to ensure that we can make that target.