Defra is working with farmers, farming and environmental organisations to develop the Farming Roadmap, which will set the direction for farming in England to 2050. The Government’s aim is to maintain food production, meet our environmental outcomes, and deliver a thriving and profitable farming sector.

The Roadmap will set out how farming will need to evolve in response to changing markets, technologies, and environmental pressures, including how Government will support that transition. It will present an honest picture of the current realities in farming and outline how the sector can adapt and evolve to meet future needs.

My Lords, the latest national assessment of flood and coastal erosion risk was published in December 2024. This shows that climate-driven sea level rise and extreme rainfall will place a growing number of people at risk of flooding and coastal erosion. That is why the Government are investing at least £10.5 billion in England until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, to protect communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.

We are committing the largest amount to ELM schemes in our country’s history. That is going to rise to £2 billion by 2028-29. Some of this funding will be used to invest in flood protection and to support farmers in tackling agricultural pollution. We want to focus our efforts on actions that have multiple benefits—for example, improving soil health, as my noble friend mentioned, so that soil can hold more water, which reduces flood risk, prevents pollutants entering watercourses from field run-off and improves crop health during drought. Natural flood management techniques provide multiple co-benefits.

For example, near where I live, there has been activity around the River Cocker and Loweswater. There, the West Cumbria Rivers Trust and its partners have been involving local farmers to re-naturalise the river, create wetlands, and implement other measures that provide flood protection alongside improving water quality and enhancing the environment. I have seen with my own eyes, in my own community, how this can help.

The UK Government takes its obligations under the Aarhus Convention seriously and remains committed to engaging constructively with its mechanisms, including the rapid response mechanism and the work of the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Convention.

The UK has responded to the Special Rapporteur. These responses are publicly available on the website of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

We are working with all our partners to tackle unsustainable debt and ensure all countries can invest and grow. The Economic Secretary (EST) is co-chairing the 'London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt', launched in June to work with private creditors on sovereign debt issues, and at the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, the UK co-led the launch of the Debt Pause Clause Alliance. We continue to drive progress in the G20 on strengthening and accelerating debt restructurings via the G20 Common Framework.

The UK is committed to playing our part alongside other developed countries and providers to deliver our international climate finance commitments, including through our shareholdings at the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), the largest providers of public climate finance. We are also pushing for new sources of funding such as agreement on the International Maritime Organisation's Net Zero Framework alongside efforts to mobilise more private capital.

We welcome the Climate Change Committee's latest report and are carefully considering its recommendations. The Government is required under the Climate Change Act to respond by 15 October that same year. The Government response, led by Defra will include input from 12 departments addressing the 57 sectoral recommendations in the report.

We welcome the Climate Change Committee’s constructive assessment, recognising the progress that has been made in planning for climate change across our transport system and the economy, as well as areas for improvement.

As part of our Plan for Change we are investing a record £2.65 billion to repair and build flood defences, protecting tens of thousands of homes and businesses and helping local communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change such as overheating and drought.

We are considering the Climate Change Committee’s Progress Report and will respond to its recommendations in October as required by the Climate Change Act.

The Government is committed to ensuring that energy bills for non-domestic customers are affordable.

Legacy renewable policy costs, such as the Renewables Obligation (RO) and Feed-in Tariff (FiT) schemes, are now closed to new applicants but have brought forward the successful renewable electricity sector that we see today in the UK. This, in turn, is supporting our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 so we can reduce our reliance on international gas markets.

By driving investment in renewables, they have significantly lowered the cost of renewable electricity production over time, leading to a more affordable and sustainable energy future.

My noble friend is right to highlight that wildfire is a devolved issue. The national resilience wildfire adviser covers the whole United Kingdom. My department has a very strong relationship with the devolved Governments across all areas, but I will have conversations with relevant counterparts within the devolved departments—those in Northern Ireland in particular—and find out more about how we can do things more collaboratively, as this issue affects all our nations.

We cannot address the urgency of the climate and nature crisis without co-ordinated global action. Failure to act would cause environmental devastation, fuelling displacement, conflict and famine. We are committed to reinvigorating the UK's international leadership on climate and nature, working with our international partners. We will set out further details of our approach in due course.

The White Paper on International Development sets out 216 commitments as part of the UK's strategic goal to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, with a timeframe through to 2030. The Government has moved at pace to deliver across the commitments. Recent delivery includes additional support for Education Cannot Wait, the launch of a new programme to support maternal and neonatal health for 3.5 million people in Ethiopia and supporting the Green Climate Fund to announce a $100 million investment partnership with Somalia.

Our fantastic British farmers are world-leaders and carefully plan their planting to suit the weather, their soil type, and their long-term agronomic strategy.

It is not Government policy to determine which crops farmers should prioritise to include in their crop rotation. However, we will continue to support farmers, so they can make the right decisions for them and the productivity of their land.

Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve the main UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability and resilience. Across the GINs we have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties.

A recent Defra commissioned research project “Review of opportunities for diversifying UK agriculture through investment in underutilised crops” also sought to identify underutilised, underdeveloped and novel crops with potential to be grown successfully in the UK within diversified cropping systems. The report can be located on the Defra Science & Research webpage at the following link: Science Search (defra.gov.uk).

Furthermore, UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

The Government published its Third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) (see attached) in July 2023. This marked a step-change in the Government’s approach to climate adaptation, putting in place an ambitious programme of decisive action for the next 5 years to address each of the 61 climate risks and opportunities in its Third Climate Change Risk Assessment.

NAP3 builds on our work already underway to provide an improved and more resilient infrastructure, greener economy, and sustainable food production.  For example, we are responding to environmental threats to domestic food production through our Environmental Land Management farming schemes, protecting hundreds of thousands of homes with a record-breaking £5.2 billion investment in flood and coastal schemes, and safeguarding future water supplies by working with regulators to accelerate £2.2 billion of investment through our ambitious Plan for Water.

The Government will continue to monitor its progress on adapting to climate change both internally through a new, senior officials Climate Resilience Board, and externally by the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC’s) reports to Parliament. The Government published its response to the CCC’s latest report in October 2023.

At COP27, the UK and all parties agreed to establish new funding arrangements for loss and damage, including the setup of a dedicated fund, to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. It was agreed to establish a Transitional Committee under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop the fund and funding arrangements by COP28. The UK subsequently secured one of the twenty-four seats on the Committee. We will consider a range of information, including from civil society, to inform our work with fellow Committee members to develop a fund and wider funding arrangements that deliver for the most vulnerable.

I refer the Noble Lady to the answer I gave on 25 November 2022 to HL3377. The Department does not collect this information.

We do not collect this information.

The increased funding for climate adaptation announced by the Prime Minister at COP27 is part of the UK's overall £11.6 billon International Climate Finance (ICF) commitment. All UK ICF is Official Development Assistance, in accordance with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rules and forms part of the UKs overseas aid budget.

While we accelerate efforts to end our contribution to climate change, we must continue to take robust action to ensure the country is well prepared to face the challenges the changing climate is bringing.

The Government has extensive plans in place and underway to adapt to and mitigate the risks of climate change, including through our National Adaptation Programme. The next programme (NAP3) will set out the policies the Government will implement to build climate resilience, in light of the latest evidence in the Climate Change Committee's Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk, and will address the risks caused by a warmer climate.

To mitigate further climate change, the UK has driven down emissions by 44% over the past three decades, the fastest reduction of any G7 country. In October 2021 we published our Net Zero Strategy which sets out a comprehensive set of measures to support and capitalise on the UK's transition to net zero by 2050.

The Government’s third climate change risk assessment sets out 61 risks and opportunities facing the UK from climate change, with eight priority risk areas identified as requiring action within the next two years. Action already taken includes £5.2 billion in 2021 for flood and coastal defences.

The noble Baroness is entirely right in her assessment. The Dasgupta review and other work has indicated the impact that global warming will have on our ecosystems and economy. The CCC has identified eight priority areas for urgent attention and considered 61 UK-wide climate risks and opportunities cutting across multiple sectors. We are looking at every risk and tackling those eight priorities, four of which come directly under Defra and all of which are cross-government.

My Lords, the Government welcome the Climate Change Committee’s constructive assessment, which informed the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2022, published in January. Since then, we have started to develop the third national adaptation programme, using this risk assessment. We know that we must go further and faster to prepare for the impacts of a warmer world. Adapting to climate change is a government-wide challenge, and we are looking across all government policies and programmes to develop NAP 3.

The UK recognises the significant debt vulnerabilities faced by many low-income countries and that high debt service levels may impact efforts to invest in and respond to climate change, as well as other development goals.

To support low-income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities, in November 2020 the UK, alongside our G20 and Paris Club partners, agreed a new Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative. This brings together, for the first time, G20 and Paris Club creditors to coordinate debt treatments following a request from any of the 73 eligible low-income countries. Private sector creditors will be expected to implement debt treatments on at least as favourable terms as those agreed by official creditors.

The UK has also committed to double our International Climate Finance to developing countries to at least £11.6bn between 2021 and 2025, continuing to balance mitigation with adaptation spend. Over the last 10 years, UK International Climate Finance has supported 88 million people to cope with the effects of climate change, providing 41 million with improved access to clean energy and avoided or reduced 51 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

As COP26 Presidency and G7 Presidency, we made it a priority to demonstrate progress on the goal to mobilise $100bn a year in climate finance from developed to developing countries to 2025. Under the UK COP26 Presidency, 95% of the largest developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling their support for developing countries to take climate action. It is now likely that $500 billion will be mobilised over the period 2021-25. This means more money for developing countries to decarbonise and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Securing an ambitious outcome on climate finance has been a core focus of the UK's COP26 Presidency. Significant progress has been made. 95% of the largest developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling their support for developing countries to take climate action. These commitments mean that the $100 billion annual climate finance goal will be met by 2023 at the very latest.

At COP26, it was agreed that funding to help countries adapt to climate change should at least double by 2025. Parties also agreed to begin the process of setting a new collective quantified post-2025 goal for climate finance. A work programme was also established under the UN to undertake technical work and a series of high-level ministerial dialogues will now take place to provide political engagement. Parties agreed that this process will take into account the needs and priorities of developing countries.

Climate is the top priority for the Government. The UK's COP26 Presidency provides a key opportunity to promote and engage international cooperation on tackling climate change. The Foreign Secretary and every member of the Ministerial team will continue to discuss climate in our meetings with counterparts across the world.

Some noble Members opposite have obviously listened to a different Budget from the one that was actually announced. We have £1 billion-worth of funding for carbon capture, usage and storage proposals. The noble Baroness will be aware that, only the other day, we announced the first two clusters in north-west and north-east England. These are world-leading, exciting proposals; no one else in the world is being as ambitious as we are on CCUS.

Driving progress to support vulnerable communities and ecosystems, adapt to climate impacts and build resilience to long term risks is a top priority for the UK’s COP26 Presidency. We are working with countries, civil society, businesses and local communities to deliver effective, inclusive adaptation action and to harness the vital power of nature in minimising climate risk.

We are focussed on improving preparedness for climate-related disasters, through a focus on enhanced early warning and early action systems; and supporting national adaptation planning - including a push for countries to publish an Adaptation Communication ahead of COP26 to outline current progress and needs. We are working to mobilise and advance adaptation action across all scales, through parties and non-state actors - including increased support to enable further locally-led adaptation. We are also working to increase the availability, efficiency and accessibility of adaptation and disaster risk finance from public and private sources - including through the Taskforce on Access to finance that was launched by the UK and Fiji at the Climate and Development Ministerial earlier this year.

The UK Presidency is pushing developed countries to significantly increase their financial commitments for mitigation, adaptation and nature for developing countries and to align global financial flows with the Paris Agreement. This includes setting out a $100 billion delivery plan to be taken forward by Canada and Germany to demonstrate how developed countries are mobilising $100 billion a year.

Public finance will work in tandem with private finance and be used to mobilise far greater sums of private finance. The UK Presidency is working with other donors and multilateral development banks in collaboration with governments, to promote and support a range of targeted initiatives that tackle barriers to and promote investment into developing countries; such as supporting new market structures, improving policy environments, de-risking investments and creating incentives for deal flow. In April 2021 we founded GFANZ, the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero which accelerates the implementation of net zero commitments and mobilises capital to climate solutions. There are currently over 250 member firms from over 30 countries, representing assets of more than US$88 trillion.

While we welcome progress made and new Nationally Determined Contributions and commitments made at the Climate Ambition Summit and since by many parties, we agree with assessments by the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Energy Agency, and the Climate Action Tracker that there remains a significant gap to achieving below 2°C and to 1.5°C.

The temperature goal of the Paris Agreement is just within reach, but to achieve it, further ambition is needed and must be acted on today. That is why we are asking all countries to come forward ahead of COP26 with enhanced and ambitious commitments to reduce emissions and scale up adaptation.

The UK is driving up global climate ambition and fostering a global, green, inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19 through our leadership in multilateral forum, our COP26 and G7 Presidencies, our international climate finance commitments and our International Energy Unit.

As part of the Government’s commitment to build back better from the pandemic, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out in his Ten Point Plan for the UK to lead the world into a Green Industrial Revolution. This innovative programme set out ambitious policies and £12 billion of government investment to support up to 250,000 green jobs across the UK, accelerate our path to reaching net zero by 2050 and lay the foundations for our green recovery by building back greener from COVID-19.

We are making real progress in delivering the Ten Point Plan while setting out plans for further climate action. Since last November, we have secured new investments in offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing and supply chains, and rolled out schemes to decarbonise homes and buildings - supporting green jobs across the UK. We have also published our Energy White Paper, North Sea Transition Deal, Transport Decarbonisation Plan, Industrial Decarbonisation and Hydrogen Strategy and consultation on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) business models.

This November, the UK will host COP26 in Glasgow bringing together world leaders, climate experts, business leaders and citizens to agree ambitious action to tackle climate change. Ahead of COP26, we will bring forward further bold proposals, including a Net Zero Strategy, to cut emissions and create new jobs and industries across the whole country, going further and faster towards building a stronger, more resilient future and protecting our planet for this generation and those to come.

The Government are deeply concerned about the findings of the IPCC’s latest report, which shows that there is no doubt that human activity has changed the climate. The report is a further warning of the need for urgent global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade and reach net zero around 2050. This reinforces the importance of achieving the Government’s COP 26 objectives and the necessity of a UK transition to net zero.

I totally understand the noble Baroness’s point, but of course we have already legislated for the greenhouse-gas emissions, as covered by the Climate Change Act. It is therefore our position that we do not need to cover any further measures within the Environment Bill, as it is at the moment. Before COP, we will publish our net-zero strategy to set out our plans to meet these ambitious targets, and we have also engaged regularly with devolved Administrations.

Ahead of COP26 we have launched the Together for our Planet campaign to engage the public in the run-up to COP26 and celebrate the work people across the UK are doing to combat climate change. The campaign aims to drive awareness and create opportunities for people across the UK to participate in the run-up to COP26.

The Together for our Planet campaign is building momentum in the lead up to COP26 by showcasing how people across the UK are going One Step Greener to tackle climate change. Our One Step Greener ‘Climate Leaders’ will show how much inspirational action on climate change is already taking place.

As Presidency, we are committed to securing an outcome that respects and reflects the interests of all Parties, including those most impacted by climate change. We want to work with civil society to amplify the voices of those on the front line of climate change to deliver a truly ‘all of society’ and inclusive COP. Civil society organisations, with their links to on-the-ground communities and practitioners, are agents of change and their knowledge and leadership is necessary to deliver effective local solutions.

The UK is committed to delivering an ambitious and inclusive COP26. We know that approaching our Presidency in a fair, inclusive and balanced way will lead to the most sustainable outcomes.

We will champion inclusivity throughout our COP Presidency and use our position as Presidency to empower and amplify the voices of those whose views are often most marginalised, addressing their needs and priorities in the run up to, and at the COP itself.

We are working with a diverse group of Friends of COP, leading figures from around the world who are sharing their expertise in support of a successful summit. This includes Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. We are also engaging regularly with the UNFCCC constituency focal points, which include the Trade Union non-governmental organisations.

The impacts of climate change will disproportionately affect the lives of the poorest and most marginalised. The UK’s aid programme, including our international climate finance, prioritises the interests of the world’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Our international response to COVID-19 is focused on securing a strong global health response, in particular supporting countries most vulnerable to the impact of the virus, accelerating the search for a vaccine and new treatments and supporting the global economy. We recognise that there is a connection between healthy lives, healthy societies and a healthy environment.

The steps taken to rebuild economies will have a profound impact on future sustainability, resilience and wellbeing. The Prime Minister recently addressed a high-level event at the invitation of the United Nations Secretary General focussed on ‘recovering better for sustainability,’ and as we prepare for COP26, we are urging the world to take the opportunity to make the recovery clean, inclusive and resilient.

The UK has shown that growing our economy and cutting emissions can be achieved at the same time. We have grown our economy by 75% while cutting emissions by 43% over the past three decades. The UK has over 460,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains and many of the actions we need to take to reach our target of net zero emissions by 2050 will support the future growth of our economy.

As we recover from COVID-19, the Government intends to deliver a UK economy which is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient.

2015 is an important year for international decision-making.

The Government recognises the important linkages between sustainability, climate change and development, since eradicating extreme poverty goes hand-in-hand with addressing climate change and sustainability.

The UK supports visible integration of climate and environment across the post-2015 framework; and significant targets in key areas, such as food, energy and water. The framework should complement and support, but not duplicate, international climate negotiations already underway.

Securing an ambitious global climate deal at the UNFCCC conference of the Parties in Paris is a priority. We are working to secure an agreement that; secures a set of country targets that together keep the global 2°C goal within reach, includes a regular review of targets and a Long Term Goal and a set of rules that ensures transparency and accountability of commitments and allows the world to track progress.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not had any recent discussions with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on the effects of climate change on extreme weather events.