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Written question asked by Paul Flynn (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 December 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 17 December 2015. It was answered by Andrea Leadsom (Conservative) on Thursday, 17 December 2015 on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Methane: Arctic

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions her Department has had with the Arctic Methane Emergency Group on ways to mitigate methane emissions from disruption of methane hydrates caused by climate change in the Arctic.

Answer

The Department has had no such direct discussions with the Arctic Methane Emergency Group. The best practical way to limit methane emissions due to the destabilisation of methane hydrates is to keep the rise in global temperatures as low as possible. The UK government’s recent push to secure an ambitious global climate deal was rewarded on 12 December in Paris, where the world witnessed a historic step forward to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. A global agreement of 195 countries, including the world’s largest emitters, have now committed to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change



Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
20128
Session
2015-16
Transferred
Yes
Subjects
Climate change Arctic Methane
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk