Topical Questions - 6th January 2026

Here are the climate-related sections of speeches by MPs during the Commons debate Topical Questions.

Full text: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-01-06/debates/A19F266D-4F6A-4A19-8E4B-B08A35436F00/TopicalQuestions

12:20 Carla Denyer (Green)

Climate change made 2025 the UK’s hottest year on record and fuelled deadly extreme weather events across the globe. We know that every drop of oil and gas used makes those events more likely, so will the Secretary of State confirm how much more new oil and gas could be extracted via the tiebacks that the Government have decided to allow, despite the new oil and gas ban? When developers apply for permission for those tiebacks, will they be required to include scope 3 emissions in their environmental impact assessments?

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Ed Miliband (Labour)

I wish the hon. Lady a happy new year, but I find that question a bit churlish. We have produced a world-leading plan for the North sea, which combines the just transition—the just and prosperous transition—with environmental leadership, while keeping to our manifesto commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields. It is absolutely right that we have tiebacks to ensure that existing oil and gas fields are kept open for their lifetime. Obviously, the North Sea Transition Authority will consult on the details of how that will work, but it is absolutely the right thing to do for jobs and the environment.

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Ed Miliband (Labour)

I congratulate Hackney council—Labour-led Hackney council—on the brilliant job it is doing on green energy. Unlike some who just talk about it, the council is actually delivering, and I congratulate it. I see Hackney as being at the forefront of our local power plan, which will be coming out in the coming months.

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12:24 Michelle Scrogham (Labour)

T4. Without energy security, projects such as Team Barrow and the regeneration of Barrow-in-Furness more widely would be impossible to deliver. Does the Secretary of State agree that large-scale proposals, such as the MESH—Marram energy storage and decarbonisation hub—project in the Irish sea, can play an important role in delivering the Government’s clean power 2030 ambitions, strengthening energy security and creating skilled jobs? Will he meet EnergyPathways to discuss this project further?

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12:24 Sonia Kumar (Labour)

T6. I am proud that Dudley is home to Brockmoor Energy and Environment Scheme, the first to be funded under the net zero neighbourhood programme by Richard Parker, the West Midlands Mayor. Will the Minister set out what further measures he is taking to improve energy efficiency, retrofit homes and upgrade energy infrastructure in Dudley, and whether he agrees that the scheme should be expanded?

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12:32 Katie White (Labour)

The Secretary of State regularly meets Cabinet colleagues about these issues. This Government are absolutely clear that any expansion of Heathrow must be compatible with our legally binding carbon budgets and net zero targets. We are committed to ensuring that the economic benefits of airport expansions are delivered in line with our environmental and climate objectives.

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12:32 Chris Webb (Labour)

Blackpool and The Fylde college has excellent courses that are training young people in the area in use of the vital renewable energy equipment that we need to go forward, but there are no jobs for those young people locally. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can create those jobs? He is welcome any time to come to a sunny and slightly chilly Blackpool to see those students and the excellent work that they are doing.

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Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat)

An estimated 50,000 diesel-powered transport refrigeration units operate across the UK, consuming around 235 million litres of fuel annually. These generators emit up to 400 times as many particles as truck exhausts do. High-emitting diesel engines face no real regulation and create a significant burden on the NHS and the environment, but there is a solution. Zero-emission renewable transport refrigeration technologies are commercially available and being manufactured in the UK today. Government intervention would help. Will the Secretary of State come and see the fantastic work of Sunswap, which is championing this technology in my constituency, and can he—

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12:35 Martin McCluskey (Labour)

Heat networks are crucial to future decarbonisation. I would be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that in detail.

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12:38 Martin McCluskey (Labour)

My hon. Friend will have heard me say earlier how important heat networks are to decarbonisation. They will play such an important role in providing energy across our country in future. I am more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that.

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12:38 Lee Anderson (Reform)

In November last year, the Energy Secretary and his entourage attended COP30 in Brazil. That was an event where a rainforest was chopped down so that the Energy Secretary could talk about saving rainforests. Does he understand the hypocrisy of it all?

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12:39 Andrew Lewin (Labour)

Happy new year to you and your team, Mr Speaker. It was a happy start to the new year, because we learned that in 2025, more renewable energy was generated in this country than at any time on record. That was driven by growth in solar in particular. Will my right hon. Friend make it a new year’s resolution that the Government will continue to drive that growth forward, and will surpass that amount in 2026?

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12:40 Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat)

Almost a year ago, the Housing and Planning Minister and I had a wonderful discussion about my sunshine Bill, which would require all new homes to include solar panels on their roof. I understand that the Government are on the cusp of making an announcement about that. Can we be reassured that this will be the year when we finally force all developers to make us have nice, green energy on our roofs?

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Darren Paffey (Labour)

Southampton is Europe’s leading cruise port and the second-biggest container terminal in the country. Our industry stands ready to invest millions in decarbonisation, but that is being held up by grid constraints at the Nursling supply point. Will the Minister meet me and local industry leaders to see how we can unlock the obvious environmental and economic benefits that this change would bring?

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