Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government’s is on future development assistance for fossil fuel projects to (a) Mozambique, and (b) other developing countries.
Answered by James Duddridge
Tackling climate change is a key priority for the UK. The Government is committed to working with countries across the world, including Mozambique, to unlock their renewable energy potential and support their transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives. The UK will continue to lead by example through aligning our Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, including our support for energy. This will include our ODA support for Mozambique and any other developing country.
The Prime Minister announced in January that the Government would end direct ODA, investment, export credit and trade promotion support for thermal coal mining and coal power plants overseas. The Government continues to keep its approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to end the provision of Official Development Assistance to fossil fuel projects overseas.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Tackling climate change is a key priority for the UK. The Government is committed to working with countries across the world to unlock their renewable energy potential and support their transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives. The UK will continue to lead by example through aligning our Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the Paris Agreement temperature goals, including our support for energy.
The Prime Minister announced in January that the Government would end direct ODA, investment, export credit and trade promotion support for thermal coal mining and coal power plants overseas. The Government continues to keep its approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy for the Government to end the public financing of fossil fuels projects overseas by COP26.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
At the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January we announced an end to Government support for thermal coal mining and coal power plants overseas, and we continue to keep our approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department plans to announce an end to UK funding for fossil fuels overseas to include an end to UK Export Finance support for fossil fuels.
Answered by Graham Stuart
At the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January we announced an end to HMG support for thermal coal mining and coal power plant overseas, and we continue to keep our approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is obliged to consider all requests for its support to UK exports in all sectors. This includes the oil and gas sector, but also many other sectors such as renewables and green growth.
UKEF is helping to drive UK content into overseas renewables and green growth projects across the globe and has been proactively developing the breadth of its support for these sectors. This is supported by £2 billion of direct lending for UKEF, which was announced in the Spring Budget, to support UK exports to these sectors.
The support provided by UKEF to UK exporters takes the form of direct loans, guarantees and insurances for which premiums are charged and, for which, there is no net cost to the taxpayer.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to announce an end to UK funding for fossil fuels overseas to include (a) Overseas Development Assistance and (b) UK Export Finance.
Answered by James Duddridge
Tackling climate change is a key priority for the UK. The Government is committed to working with countries across the world to unlock their renewable energy potential and support their transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives. We are continuing to work closely with departments and agencies across Government to align future UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the Paris Agreement.The Prime Minister announced in January that the Government would end direct ODA, investment, export credit and trade promotion support for thermal coal mining and coal power plants overseas. The Government continues to keep its approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many fossil fuel projects UK Export Finance has planned for 2021; and where these projects will be located.
Answered by Graham Stuart
At the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January we announced an end to HMG support for thermal coal mining and coal power plant overseas, and we continue to keep our approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is obliged to consider all requests for its support. These requests can be made, and subsequently withdrawn, at any time.
When considering a request for support, UKEF conducts extensive due diligence, including environmental, social, and human rights due diligence and consideration of climate change, to understand the risk it is being asked to take. There are various reasons why an application to UKEF might not result in support being provided, or, if support is offered, why delays in providing that support might arise. All these factors make determining when UKEF support may, or even will be provided difficult and imprecise.
UKEF is currently considering requests for support for 7 projects involving fossil fuels (none of which are coal-related, in line with government policy) which may be supported in 2021. UKEF has also received a further 10 applications for trade finance cover in the sector. It is possible that not all these transactions will be concluded
in 2021, or indeed in subsequent years.
Those projects are in the following countries:
Algeria | 1 |
Azerbaijan | 2 |
Brazil | 2 |
Canada | 1 |
China | 2 |
Egypt | 1 |
Iraq | 1 |
Italy | 1 |
Malaysia | 2 |
Thailand | 1 |
Turkey | 1 |
Turkmenistan | 1 |
UK | 1 |
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham, Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on ending public financing of fossil fuels overseas; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
At the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January we announced an end to the Government's support for thermal coal mining and coal power plant overseas, and we continue to keep our approach to other fossil fuel investments and financing overseas under review.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has plans to announce an end to UK Government financial support for fossil fuels overseas using Official Development Assistance through (a) the CDC Group, (b) the Private Infrastructure Development Group and (c) other multilateral institutions.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK was the first major economy in the world to make a legally binding commitment to reach net zero by 2050. As part of that commitment and global leadership on the issue the Prime Minister announced in January that the UK would end direct Official Development Assistance (ODA), investment, export credit and trade promotion support for thermal coal mining and coal power plants overseas. The UK will also continue to lead by example through aligning our ODA with the Paris Agreement temperature goals. This will include our support for CDC, the Private Infrastructure Development Group and other multilateral institutions.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of her Departments's role in promoting climate dependency; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on UK Export Finance’s investments in carbon intensive industries abroad.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Prime Minister announced in July that the UK Government will align all future UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) spending with the Paris Agreement. This means ensuring we assess all programming for the impact they have on climate change, and that any investment support for fossil fuels affecting emissions is in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goals and transition plans. We are working closely with departments across Government to agree how this commitment will be implemented.
As the UK’s export credit agency, UKEF is responsive to the evolving export financing needs of UK companies as they transition away from fossil fuels. The Prime Minister announced at the Africa Investment Summit that the government will provide no new direct ODA, investment, export credit or trade support for coal power and thermal coal mining overseas.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he has taken to discourage investment in fossil fuels overseas.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government engages in a range of activities designed to facilitate lower global greenhouse gas emissions, including through international diplomacy, and the provision of Official Development Assistance.
As set out in the Green Finance Strategy, the Government will align the UK’s Official Development Assistance spending with the Paris Agreement. In practical terms, this will include ensuring any investment support for fossil fuels affecting emissions is in line with the Paris Agreement temperature goals and transition plans.