Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to provide digital resources for young people to better understand and reduce their own carbon footprint.

It will be vitally important to engage the public on the challenge of meeting our net zero target, including specifically with young people.

In October 2020, I spoke at the first UK Youth Against Carbon Conference to listen to young people concerned about climate change and highlight to them how the UK will continue to work towards a net zero target for all of society.

In July 2020, we also launched the ‘Involved’ Instagram page, to invite young people across the country to share their views on key issues such as climate change with the Government by asking questions through the app’s polling and stories. Responses will feed directly public consultations and wider policy making.

The Government has welcomed the final report from the Climate Assembly UK and will be looking closely at the report’s findings. The members were selected to be broadly representative of the UK population, which means that nearly 1 in 4 of its members were young people sharing their views on how we should reach net zero.

The Government has funded several digital tools that can help people reduce their carbon footprint, including the ‘Simple Energy Advice’ service on how to reduce energy use in the home, and the ‘Go Ultra Low’ website, providing information on Electric Cars & Vans.

Together for Our Planet, our revitalised domestic climate campaign, will aim to engage the whole country in the conversation around climate change. In the run up to the summit, we’ll be working closely with young people, schools, civil society groups, businesses and people across the UK as part of our conversation on tackling climate change.