HOUSE OF COMMONS

LONDON SW1A 0AA

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
31 August 2016

Dear Prime Minister,

Re: Ratification of the Paris Agreement
Earlier this year the UK undertook to take "the necessary steps to secure ratification, acceptance or
approval of the Paris Agreement as soon as possible" and called upon all Parties to strive to bring
the agreement into force in 2016.1
You will also recall that in March, your predecessor agreed "the need for the European Union and
its Member States to be able to ratify the Paris Agreement as soon as possible and on time so as to
be Parties as of its entry into force."2
I call on you now to fulfil these pledges. 23 nations have already formally ratified the Agreement
and, based on high-level commitments, it is expected that the Agreement will be ratified by the
requisite number of countries responsible for at least 55% global emissions by the end of 2016.
Significantly, a joint US-China commitment is anticipated ahead of this week's G20 Leaders
summit. Despite this the UK has not begun the domestic ratification process.
If the UK lags behind its global partners, this would be greatly damaging to the UKs strong
reputation for climate diplomacy. And although it has been stated that countries which have not yet
ratified the Agreement at its entry into force will not be disadvantaged in negotiations on the
detailed rules;3 it is clear that delayed ratification risks sidelining the UKs soft influence on this
defining security issue of the 21st century.
The UK was a key player in the design of the deal and the diplomatic strategy which secured the
agreement of 195 countries last December in Paris. After the vote to leave the European Union, our
international partners will be paying close attention to whether the UK continues to have an
outward, responsible internationalist perspective or turns inwards. I believe it is essential that you
take this opportunity to demonstrate that the UK remains committed to playing its part on the global
stage.
The implications of the referendum result may open up certain complications for finalising EUwide ratification. However, there is no reason why the UK should delay satisfying its own domestic
requirements for ratification. France and Hungary have already completed this process, while
1 G7 Leaders communiqu, May 2016 http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000160266.pdf
2 EU Council conclusions, March 2016 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/03/18-europeancouncil-conclusions/
3 Presidencies reflection note on Taking the Paris Agreement Forward, May 2016
https://unfccc.int/files/meetings/paris_nov_2015/application/pdf/reflections_note.pdf
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Germany is preparing to complete domestic ratification by the end of the year. While still a member
of the EU, the UK should play an active role in supporting an accelerated ratification timeline
across all member states.
The Chancellor commented last November that, "the world is moving towards a low carbon
economy [] there may now be more risk in being left behind than there is in taking the lead." He
correctly identified that British businesses are "telling us that we should be a leader, not a backmarker; that we should be at the forefront of these developments, taking advantage of the
opportunities."4
Indeed this summer 130 investors have urged G20 leaders to ratify by the end of 2016. This group,
which manages over $13 trillion of assets, said that ratifying the Paris Agreement quickly would
make countries, "better able to attract investment in low and zero carbon energy solutions."5
At a time when Ernst & Young and a cross-party parliamentary select committee are warning that
the UKs low-carbon investment is in crisis, your government must make every effort to restore
investor confidence in our clean energy sector. This is even more important following the vote to
leave the EU.
Your decision to abolish the Department of Energy and Climate Change as one of your first actions
sent a potentially damaging signal that the UK might be downgrading its dedication to tackling
climate change. An Inenco survey this summer found the majority of large business energy users
feared that the removal of a standalone department will leave climate change "swept under the
rug.6
Whilst I went out of my way to welcome your choice of a "more enlightened ministerial team" at
the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - a fact which I appreciate may
not help to recommend them to you or me to them! - I do consider that they need urgently to
reassure investors and the business community of your government's commitment to the
decarbonisation agenda. UK domestic ratification would be a strong signal to that effect.
I therefore call on you to take all necessary steps to start domestic ratification procedures as soon as
parliament returns from recess next week, and to ensure that this has been completed before the end
of 2016.
This symbolic action should be complemented by the substantive one of publishing the long
awaited carbon plan setting out the practical measures and policies that will enable us to meet our
climate targets through to 2032 and to deliver on the Government's commitment to enshrine the
Paris Agreement's net zero goal into domestic UK law.
In your campaign to become our Prime Minister, you rightly remarked that "each generation - of
politicians, of business leaders, of us all are custodians, with a responsibility to pass on something
better to the next generation. Your strong action on climate change would be a clear demonstration
of the manner in which you seek to uphold that responsibility.
4 Foreign Secretary speech, 10 November 2015 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-secretary-speech-aconservative-response-to-climate-change
5 http://www.igcc.org.au/resources/Documents/FinalWebInvestorG20Letter24Aug1223pm.pdf
6 http://www.inenco.com/inenco-news/blog/the-jury-is-out-on-beis-but-are-we-any-closer-to-long-term-certainty/
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Yours sincerely,

Barry Gardiner
Member of Parliament for Brent North
Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, Europe, Energy and Climate Change

Cc the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

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