17.10.19
Boris Johnson to chair first-of-its-kind Climate Change Committee
The Prime Minister will today announce (Oct 17) that he will chair a new Cabinet Committee dedicated to tackling Climate Change and its global effects.
PM Boris Johnson and the new committee will be the driving force behind government and its efforts to protect our environment, emissions and improve air quality.
This government committee is the first of its kind and it will unite ministers responsible for climate change policy both in the UK and around the world.
It will provide the government with the ability to hold departments to account for their actions or lack of, in combatting climate change.
The UK recently committed to delivering zero net emissions by 2050, the launch of this committee will help to deliver on this ambition and properly support international efforts to join in the fight.
Achieving this goal will require deep-rooted change across government policy and subsequently across society. The committee will play an important role in the co-ordination of this strategy as well overseeing the UK’s preparations to host the UN’s major climate summit COP26, in November 2020.
Department representatives on the committee will include the Foreign Secretary, the Chancellor, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Business Secretary, the Environment Secretary, the Transport Secretary, the International Development Secretary and the Housing Secretary.
The Prime Minister said:
“I want us to become the cleanest, greenest society on earth, and inspire countries around the world to follow our lead so that our children can breathe clean air and benefit from the wonderful flora and fauna of this earth. We know that people across the UK are passionate about protecting our planet, and we need to continue building on the excellent progress this government has made in tackling climate change and improving our environment.”
“That’s why I’m announcing today that I will personally chair a new cross-government Committee on Climate Change, bringing together my ministers to galvanise action to tackle the great environmental challenges we face.”
The announcement comes the same week as the government announced new measures to go ‘further and faster’ with their climate change goals. (Oct 15)
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