Thank you for contacting me about the Climate and Ecology Bill.
I will be sure to scrutinise the Bill brought to the House on its merits.
The UK Government is already taking the issue of climate change incredibly seriously and we have decarbonised our economy faster than any country in the G20 over the last two decades. In addition, ambitious targets such as a 68 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and a 78 per cent reduction in emissions by 2035, also compared to 1990 levels have been enshrined in law.
Further, biodiversity loss is a global problem that needs a global solution, and the UK played a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022. A new deal was agreed by almost 200 countries, with a global commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and also to protect 30 per cent of land and oceans by 2030.
The British Energy Security Strategy and Net Zero Strategy set out how the UK will secure 480,000 well-paid jobs and unlock £100 billion in investment in 2030 on its path to ending its contribution to climate change by 2050. The England Trees Action Plan sets out how the UK will treble tree planting rates. The £750 million Nature for Climate Fund is the main delivery vehicle and is focussed on peat restoration, woodland creation and management.
Finally, the Environment Act 2021 includes targets to clean up the country’s air, restore natural habitats, increase biodiversity, reduce waste and make better use of our resources. It also includes a target to halt the decline in species by 2030, as well as require new developments to improve or create habitats for nature and tackle illegal deforestation overseas.