Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to end UK Government support for Liquid Natural Gas in Mozambique in the context of the UK’s climate commitments under the Paris and Glasgow COP Agreements.

The UK is committed to working with countries across the world to support their transitions away from fossil fuels. Mozambique's primary energy challenge is providing access to clean, reliable, affordable energy to all. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) can improve energy access, boost the economy and jobs, and reduce deforestation through lowering the demand for wood for energy. That is why this LNG investment was supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to help ensure Mozambique meets the Sustainable Development Goals. Mozambican natural gas is among the cleanest in the world in terms of carbon intensity, and the Government of Mozambique and major gas operators have committed to the use of carbon capture and storage to decarbonize the gas prior to export. The Government of Mozambique considers gas revenues an important source of investment to support its energy transition, in line with its Nationally Determined Contribution and Paris Agreement commitments, including a commitment to reach 62% renewable energy by 2030.

The UK's targeted support for LNG in Mozambique will therefore help ensure a just and clean energy transition. The UK is also supporting the development of Mozambique's renewables potential, including support for renewable hydrogen, and through £20 million of UKAid for private sector investment in off-grid renewables which has already reached 250,000 people in rural areas and is set to reach 750,000 by 2023. The UK is also mobilising £520 million in private financing to expand access to the power grid.