Written question asked by Lord Maples (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Marland (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 July 2010.

Climate Change

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which global temperature series they use in formulating policy on global warming.

Answer: No particular global temperature series is used in formulating the Government's climate change policies. The Government's policies draw on a broad body of scientific and economic evidence, brought together through expert advice and international scientific assessments. Historic warming of the climate is an important part of this evidence and is provided by three independent assessments of near-surface temperature data, carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and by a collaboration of the Met Office Hadley Centre and University of East Anglia, which show almost identical warming trends over the past century. This warming is corroborated by other data sets from instruments on satellites and weather balloons, and physical indicators including sea-level rise.

Secondary information