Climate and Nature Bill
I agree with you on the importance of this issue. Climate change and nature loss are among the greatest challenges of our time. They are also interlinked and require a connected response. That is why I welcome the Government’s commitment to work with the sponsors of the CAN Bill to take forward its spirit and substance.
I am pleased that the Government is delivering on this commitment. On 14 July 2025, it gave the first annual statement to Parliament on the state of climate and nature, as agreed with the Bill’s sponsors. This set out an assessment of the climate and nature crises we face, as well as the action the Government is taking in response. This action includes securing the largest investment in clean power in a generation, as well as record levels of funding for nature restoration. It also includes making homes more energy efficient, planting millions of trees and taking steps to improve the resilience of communities to adapt to climate change, such as through £7.9 billion in capital investment over ten years to defend against flooding.
I also welcome that the Government is taking forward other actions in response to the CAN Bill. On nature recovery, for example, it has announced it will introduce a Bill by the end of the year to enable ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement. In addition, it has appointed 48 county and combined authorities to lead the creation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies. On consumption emissions and carbon leakage, meanwhile, it is ensuring UK decarbonisation efforts lead to a true reduction in global emissions through developing the UK’s carbon border adjustment mechanism to prevent emissions simply being moved overseas.
In addition, the Government will publish a Net Zero Public Participation Strategy later this year, outlining its objectives for engaging the public. Furthermore, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Climate Change Committee have committed to a data-sharing agreement to improve integration between climate and nature policies, helping to tackle these intertwined crises.
I believe these actions demonstrate that the Government is restoring the UK as an international leader on climate change and reversing nature’s decline. I can assure you that I will continue to support the steps it is taking to protect the climate and our natural world.