Climate change

This short House of Commons Library Briefing Paper provides a brief overview of the twenty-fourth UN conference on climate change, held in December 2018, including information on the Paris Agreement, the Talanoa Dialogue and the People's Seat.

A debate will be held in Westminster Hall on extreme weather events related to climate change on Tuesday 13 November 2018 at 9.30 am. The subject for the debate has been chosen by the Backbench Business Committee, and it will be opened by Darren Jones MP.

What are 'net zero' emissions and how do they fit with the UK’s climate change targets?

The Government published its White Paper on future relations between the UK and the EU on 12 July. It envisages a 'common rulebook' to facilitate 'frictionless' trade, and among other things, UK cooperation in security matters, a commitment to maintain high environmental, data and consumer protection standards, UK participation in some EU agencies and solutions to the Irish border issues - all underpinned by a new governance structure that will pay "due regard" to the EU Court. Would the White Paper proposals work and do they respect both UK sovereignty and the indivisibility of the EU Single Market? David Davis's 'alternative' white paper proposes a somewhat different future relationship. This paper looks at proposals in both documents.

Brexit negotiations have resumed and this third phase will cover issues outstanding from the last phases - the Irish border in particular - and the framework for future EU-UK relations. This paper looks at how the EU and the UK envisage their relationship after Brexit.

The Government published its 25-year plan to improve the environment on 11 January 2018. This briefing paper provides an overview and background to the plan, picks out key themes and commitments, and provides a summary of stakeholder reaction.

This Commons Library Briefing Paper provides an overview of the introduction of a Carbon Floor Price and the Government's freeze of Carbon Price Support until 2021. The Government confirmed the price support would continue until coal was phased out.

This Commons Library briefing provides an overview of the new Control for Low Carbon Levies, and the Levy Control Framework, which it replaced.

A Westminster Hall debate on the "Carbon Capture and Storage" is scheduled for Thursday 19 October 2017 at 1.30pm. The Member leading the debate is Simon Clarke MP.

What are EU agencies and what do they do? Will the UK be able to participate in their activities after Brexit? And what will happen to the two that are based in the UK? This paper looks at the roles and functions of EU agencies, the issues surrounding the two UK-based agencies, and whether there are options for continued UK participation after Brexit.

What are EU directives and what will happen to them when the UK leaves the EU? This paper looks at EU directives in force and how they are implemented in the UK. This will give some idea of the task ahead for UK legislators.

The Renewable Heat Incentive aims to support households and businesses to generate renewable heat for their buildings. Several changes are being made to the scheme in 2017

This Commons Briefing paper sets out the details of the Government’s Energy Company Obligation scheme that provides funding for energy efficiency measures for difficult to treat homes and the homes of ‘those most in need.’