I share your concern over the impact of climate change, but I am very much encouraged by the action the Government is taking in this area.  

Through the 25 Year Environment Plan, Ministers are maintaining and extending key protections for nature. The Environment Act 2021 includes a target to halt the decline of nature by 2030 and I know that my ministerial colleagues are fully committed to this target. The Act also introduces measures that will strengthen our action for nature and lay the foundation for the Nature Recovery Network, a network of places that are richer in wildlife, more resilient to climate change and provide wider environmental benefits including carbon capture and recreation.

The UK, like most major economies, is highly dependent on oil and gas and will be for decades to come. We get 75 per cent of our energy from oil and gas, and according to the Committee on Climate Change, oil and gas will still provide more than half of our energy needs in 2035, and 24 per cent of our energy needs even in a net zero 2050.

The Government remains firmly committed to its net zero target. However, oil and gas will be required in the transition to net zero, simply turning off the taps would mean we would have to import oil and gas, leaving us susceptible to global circumstances. Further, importing oil and gas harm our ambition to reach net zero. According to the North Sea Transition Authority, imported gas has a carbon footprint which is three times that of domestically produced gas.

A new climate compatibility checkpoint has been published for the oil and gas industry. The checkpoint will provide Ministers with key information relating to the climate performance of the UK oil and gas sector, so that they are properly informed before making a decision about whether to endorse further licensing.

It is important to note that producing gas in the UK has a lower carbon footprint than importing it from abroad and I am reassured that supporting the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term will be coupled with the accelerated deployment of wind, new nuclear, solar and hydrogen energy.

You are absolutely right to highlight the impact that buildings have on the climate. Buildings are responsible for around 30 per cent of our national emissions, and I know the Government recognises that upgrading home energy performance is crucial if we are to meet net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the UK economy by 2050. Not only this, but Ministers are clear that one of the principal ways we can tackle high energy prices in the long-term is to improve the energy efficiency of homes.

A new long-term commitment to drive improvements in energy efficiency to bring down bills for households, businesses and the public sector has been announced with an ambition to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15 per cent by 2030 against 2021 levels. New funding worth £6 billion will be made available from 2025 to 2028, in addition to the £6.6 billion provided in this Parliament. To achieve this target, a new Energy Efficiency Taskforce will be charged with delivering energy efficiency across the economy.

The Heat and Buildings Strategy also signals a step change in improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and how we heat them, while also supporting 175,000 green skilled jobs by 2030 and 240,000 green skilled jobs by 2035 while delivering £6 billion additional Gross Added Value by 2030.

Through unprecedented support for bills, including the Energy Price Guarantee and Energy Bill Support Scheme, the Government has supported households with half of their energy bills this winter.

I am encouraged by the commitment to restoring economic stability, while delivering fair and compassionate support for the most vulnerable households as inflation is halved this year.