Measures being taken to hold the U.K. Government to account over the required action to combat climate change

2020.02.04

3 Deputy R.J. Ward of St. Helier of the Chief Minister regarding the measures being

taken to hold the U.K. Government to account over the required action to combat climate change: (OQ.37/2020)

Given that, at a recent C.P.A. conference on sustainable economies, the importance of small jurisdictions holding larger countries to account over their actions on climate change was highlighted, what action is the Chief Minister taking, if any, to hold the U.K. Government to account over the required action to combat climate change?

Senator J.A.N. Le Fondré (The Chief Minister):

The participation of States Members in multilateral fora, such as the C.P.A. and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, is a key aspect of Jersey's international engagement. While it is not up to Jersey, or any other jurisdiction individually to hold the U.K. Government to account over this truly global issue, our contribution to the dialogue and the development of policies in response to climate change remains a key priority. I would just note that in respect of the U.K., U.K. CO2 emissions have declined by around 38 per cent since 1990, that is faster than any other major developed country. The U.K. is regarded as the world leader in offshore wind, with more installed capacity than any other country, it has just over a third of the world's offshore wind power. I believe in terms of the G7, the cut in emissions is the greatest attributable to the U.K. out of all the G7 economies. Therefore, my perspective says the U.K. has a very good record, but I would say obviously if there are matters of carbon neutrality and environment the expert is roughly 2 seats to the left of the Deputy asking the question and perhaps detailed questions on this matter should be referred to the Minister for the Environment, but I look forward to the supplementary.

1. Deputy R.J. Ward :

This is about principle and I think it is a very key principle, because the C.P.A. do say that small Islands will be affected disproportionately by climate change, so should it not be that the pressure that we put on as a small jurisdiction should be equally as disproportionately high on the U.K. Government? I will ask the Chief Minister: does he bring this issue up when he meets with his counterparts in the U.K., or those at the top of Government in the U.K., because of the importance to us as a small jurisdiction?

Senator J.AN. Le Fondré:

As I said, with the work that we all do, whether it is through C.P.A., through B.I.P.A. (British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly), through British-Irish Council, where we do have meetings on the climate emergency and on global warming as a general issue, we do work with the jurisdictions. I make the point that relative to all the other G7 economies the U.K. is ahead of the game; therefore, it is doing, relative to everybody else, a good job.

2. Deputy I. Gardiner of St. Helier :

As the Chief Minister mentioned, the U.K. is the leader and ahead of the game, I would like to search for an answer how Jersey can be a leader and ecologically friendly tourism and U.K. might be a leader in developing quicker electric aircraft, which probably will be developed to a shorter destination, and the U.K. might be a leader to develop ecologically friendly yachts, boats, and transport between British Isles can be more ecologically friendly. Can we encourage the U.K. Government as well and to push towards that direction?

Senator J.AN. Le Fondré:

I think it is a little bit outside my technical knowledge from the point of view that I know there is a lot of work happening on ... I will use the word eco-friendly transport, but more in the electrical vehicles territory, although there is talk about the aviation industry aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050, I believe. But the point I make, again, in our overall work that we do with the jurisdictions of the British Isles, I think there is an overall working together and willingness to address this. The U.K. has set its aims, which are somewhat less ambitious than us in terms of dates of 2050, rather than aiming for 2030 as ours are thanks to Deputy Ward ; however, we have a slightly smaller problem of a population of 105,000, 106,000 people rather than 60-odd million people they have to deal with. I think the direction of travel - pardon the pun - is likely to be that, that the Deputy seeks. I cannot give a timeframe on it because, at the end of the day, it is about technology and whether an electric, or a carbon neutral, aeroplane, for the sake of argument, or boat, probably the latter is more feasible, is technically feasible in the near future.

3. Deputy G.P. Southern of St. Helier :

On how many occasions has the Council of Ministers discussed climate change and is he in a position to indicate what priorities he has for delivering climate change? Is it reduction in the number of petrol-driven cars on the road? Is it hitting offices and housing? Is it improvement of insulation in housing? What are his priorities?

Senator J.AN. Le Fondré:

The Deputy might recall that his colleague in the Reform Party brought a Proposition to the States about carbon neutrality and one aspect of that was at each meeting on the agenda of the Council of Ministers would be the climate emergency. Therefore, the answer to the question is every meeting of the Council of Ministers, since that Proposition, has addressed the issue. In relation to the aspects he has raised, step one is in the carbon neutral strategy, which we are going to be debating in the next few weeks.

4. Deputy K.G. Pamplin of St. Helier :

May I congratulate Deputy Gardiner and Deputy Ward on their recent visit representing this Assembly at the C.P.A. Small Branches region meeting in Malta and showing what the purpose and the benefit of those C.P.A. meetings are for bringing questions to the Assembly. So, my attempt at that is to say to the Chief Minister, going down the path of holding U.K. Governments and larger regions to account, what work is going on with our fellow islanders, Guernsey and the other islands? Maybe there is a taskforce bringing together if at a time the islands want to put any sort of pressure on regarding climate change.

Senator J.AN. Le Fondré:

The islands try to work together on a whole variety of issues and I believe climate change is always going to be one of those. In terms of referring to general the higher question on the United Kingdom, I refer back to my earlier answers. It is about working together as part of the British Isles family.

5. Deputy R.J. Ward :

We have set an ambitious target and it is a good thing for us to do. I would ask him that every representation, whether he would take the ambition of Jersey and let Jersey lead the way on this issue whenever he talks to the U.K. Government, because that continued pressure, particularly of the new Government, which may slip, would be really important for us as small islands. Would the Minister do that?

Senator J.AN. Le Fondré:

The Deputy would be delighted to know that when I was in Washington last week I mentioned it to one of the congressmen of New Jersey.