Lords debates COP26 outcomes

Debate

Baroness Young of Old Scone (Labour), Co-chair of Environmentalists for Europe, put forward the debate.

This was a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.

Members speaking

Members speaking included:

• Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green), former Green Party Leader 
• Lord Browne of Ladyton (Labour), director of the Clean Growth Leadership Network
• Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat), former Chief Executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Chair of the Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee
• Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative), former Shadow Minister for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Baroness Worthington (Crossbench), co-director of the Quadrature Climate Foundation and co-chair of Peers for the Planet.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative), Minister for the Pacific and the Environment, responded on behalf of the government.

Lords presses government on environment

Find out more about how the House of Lords presses the government on environmental action:

In debates

Members discuss the importance of Chalk Streams for maintaining global diversity and the risks of them drying out. 

Scrutinising bills

Members agree improvements to the Environment Bill including to reduce the impact of untreated sewage in rivers, increase courts' powers to enforce the new law and reduce single-use items. 

Questions to government

In oral questions, members press government on reaching net zero, plans for fossil fuel extraction projects, accessibility at COP26, and challenge HM treasury's changes to the Green Book.

Find out more about this week's questions.

In committees

The Science and Technology Committee writes to the COP26 President to urge the government to recognise the importance of nature based solutions to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. 

The Environment and Climate Change Committee raises concerns about the government's approach to climate change and highlights it has lacked public engagement, staff with insufficient expertise and the need for a plan if targets are missed. 

Get involved

Watch and read the debate

Find out more about the issues discussed: catch up on Parliament TV or read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Explore background information

Find out more about the issues the debate covers in the Lords Library briefing.

Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government.  

Image: Unsplash