Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the findings of Global Justice Now, published 18 September 2021, that globally, fossil fuel companies are suing governments for more than £13 billion over climate change policies which risk impacting their profits, what assessment her Department has made of the compatibility of the UK’s membership of the Energy Charter Treaty with (a) the Paris Agreement objective to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees and (b) the COP26 goal to keep 1.5 degrees within reach.
The Energy Charter Treaty already calls on Member States to minimise the environmental impacts of energy operations.
Member States of the Energy Charter Treaty are currently engaged in a process to modernise the Treaty and ensure it is aligned with our climate objectives.