Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have held about the designation of new CITES ports in 2021; and which organisations these meetings were with.

We welcome the UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021. As this report makes clear, it is important that each country delivers on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero commitments. The UK’s pledge to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 is one of the most ambitious in the world.

The UK has been pressing all leaders to commit to ambitious climate action ahead of COP26 to help keep 1.5°C in reach. We will continue to do this, at COP and throughout our Presidency year.

Domestically, we are taking vital steps through our recently published Net Zero Strategy to play our part. My department has a crucial role to play in helping this government achieve its net zero target. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we will support our agriculture and land use sectors to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases. This is central to our ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.