Thank you for contacting me about COP26 and Climate Change.

I would like to assure you that I take this issue very seriously. It is the single most important subject raised whenever I visit local schools and over the course of the last year, I have taken the time to meet with a wide range of stakeholders to hear their views on what we can all do to act to combat global warming.  I also held a summit for local business leaders at Morgan Motors to hear what steps they are all taking to get towards net zero emissions. I have reflected on these conversations and wrote a letter to Alok Sharma, the President of COP26. 

I also visited COP26 twice, once as a Member of the Treasury Select Committee to see how green finance can be used to stimulate the transition to clean energy and I chaired a day of discussions with parliamentarians from all over the world to reach a consensus on global action. I was pleased that developed countries agreed to spend $500 billion over the next five years to support developing countries. The UK is doubling our International Climate Finance commitment to help developing nations with £11.6 billion over the next five years. As rich, developed nations we must accept that we have benefitted from fossil fuels that have polluted the atmosphere and take a leading role resolving this global challenge.

I remain convinced that this is should be one of all of our top priorities, and I am proud to serve in a Government which plans to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it.

Thank you for contacting me about this important issue.