Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle North, has today pushed the Prime Minister to ensure the UK ratifies the Paris Climate Treaty without delay.

The historic deal, agreed by 195 countries at the United Nations Paris climate talks in December 2015, is the first truly global climate agreement.

It commits the world to reach net zero emissions in the second half of this century, in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees or well below 2 degrees.  To do so, each country is required to develop a progressively more ambitious national emissions reduction target every five years, and – crucially – the Paris agreement emphasises the intrinsic link between climate change and eradicating global poverty.

According to the UN, 26 countries have now formally ratified the Paris Agreement – accounting for around 39% of global emissions.  The United States and China jointly announced that they had ratified the deal shortly ahead of the G20 Summit held in China at the weekend – but it will not come into force until 30 days after at least 55 countries covering at least 55% of global emissions take the same step.

The United Kingdom is yet to start the ratification process, which will require an Act of Parliament.

Speaking following a Commons statement by the Prime Minister about the G20 summit earlier today, Catherine McKinnell asked:

‘Can I ask whether the Prime Minister was lobbied at the G20 by the Chinese and US Governments about ratifying the Paris Climate Treaty as quickly as possible?’

The Prime Minister responded that it was the UK’s intention to ratify the agreement, but failed to confirm when this would take place.

Commenting afterwards, Catherine said:

‘Tackling climate change must be one of the UK’s single biggest international and domestic priorities, but I have really serious concerns about the Government’s approach to this wider issue – and particularly during the Brexit process, with so many of our environmental protections being underpinned by the EU.

‘One of the Prime Minister’s first moves was to scrap the Department for Energy and Climate Change and this, alongside her continued failure to confirm when the UK will ratify the Paris Agreement, risks sending a really damaging message to the international community about Britain’s commitment to this issue.

‘She must ensure that the UK ratifies the Paris Agreement without delay.’

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