Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what purchases her Department made of international carbon credits in the most recent five years for which figures are available; and what the average cost per tonne of CO2 was.

DESNZ compensates for emissions associated with the flights taken by Ministers and their support staff by purchasing high quality international carbon credits, annually and in arrears.

The Department is close to finalising its first purchase of international carbon credits in respect of emissions from the Department’s creation to the end of last year.

In 2022, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) purchased 151 carbon credits to compensate for the emissions associated with flights taken in 2021 by BEIS Ministers and their support staff. This was at a cost of £1,394.89, making the cost per tonne £9.24.