environment – Page 9 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of St Albans asks about steps taken to assist farmers in the transition to net zero

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 10th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to assist farmers transitioning towards net zero; and what steps, if any, they are taking to (1) support carbon auditing on farms, (2) standardise carbon calculators, and (3) invest in water management infrastructure.

Lord Benyon (Con, DEFRA): We are taking a range of measures to support farmers’ transition to net zero. We are investing in a range of actions through farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery. Our schemes will help farmers deliver environmental outcomes on the land they manage while helping their businesses become more productive and sustainable.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of St Albans speaks on rural affairs and the environment

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in the King’s Speech debate on 13th November 2023 on the topic of rural affairs and the environment, and on several future bills mentioned in the speech:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I declare my interest as president of the Rural Coalition as set out in the register. That means that I want to reflect for a few moments on the environmental and rural dimensions of some of the legislation that will be coming our way over the coming year.

I will make a couple of preliminary comments. Back in 2015, His Majesty’s Government responded to the independent rural-proofing implementation review by the noble Lord, Lord Cameron of Dillington. Among the recommendations was that

“Defra Ministers should work with Cabinet Office to strengthen and improve rural proofing guidance when the impact of policies is being assessed, to ensure that rural policy impacts are given clear and robust attention”.

King’s Speech Debate: Bishop of Norwich makes maiden speech on nature and the environment

The Bishop of Norwich made his maiden speech in the King’s Speech Debate on Monday 13th November, on the topic of the natural world and the environment:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, it is a privilege to offer my maiden speech following the first gracious Speech given by His Majesty. I thank noble Lords for their welcome, and the staff for their kindness and guidance. I will need to draw on the wisdom of all who serve our nation in this House.

As Bishop of Norwich, I serve a diocese that has 658 of Norfolk and Waveney’s churches. Many of them are gems of medieval architecture. All of them are treasure troves of memory and places of prayerful watching. Plenty have unique round towers. Each rural church community knows about the hidden challenges of poverty, poor transport and the high cost of housing, but also about the strong sense of community found in our churches and schools.

Since my early years, I have been captivated by our natural world, going on to become an ecologist. This, combined with a vocation to ministry, means that my passions are flying in formation in my current role as lead bishop for the environment. Through a quirk in history, I am also the last remaining Bishop Abbot, with the ruined St Benet’s Abbey in the Norfolk Broads being my bailiwick. I sail there each year in a Norfolk wherry, standing at the bow, anxiously trying to ensure that my mitre is not blown off.

Bishop of Sheffield asks about climate commitments

On 17th October 2023, the Bishop of Sheffield asked a question about the government’s climate financing commitments in advance of the COP 27 Conference:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, it is reassuring to hear that the Government are confident of meeting the commitments made at COP 26 in relation to climate finance for adaptation and mitigation. Are the Government equally confident that commitments made at COP 27 in relation to the loss and damage fund will be not only met but made fully operational?

Bishop of St Albans asks about floods in Libya

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 17th October 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked what representations they have made to the government of Libya concerning the recent floods in that country; and what emergency provision they will be providing to them.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con, Foreign Office): The UK is horrified by the scale of flooding in eastern Libya following Storm Daniel and is committed to working with partners to deliver aid in support of the Libyan people.

Bishop of St Albans asks about moving to use of electric cars

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the progress of moving to electric cars on 20th September 2023, during a debate on the government’s environment policy:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: There is no doubt that His Majesty’s Government have done many good things, and we need all sides of the House to work on this vital area. However, this is not just something which affects some groups; it particularly affects those parts of our nation where air quality is so bad that it is materially affecting the health of many young people and causing huge additional costs to the NHS. What assurances can the Minister give us about the progress of moving to electric cars, to try to make a tangible difference to air quality in our urban areas?

Bishop of St Albans draws attention to repercussions of climate change in the Horn of Africa

The Bishop of St Albans spoke in a debate on the effects of climate change on migration on 14th September 2023, drawing particular attention to the food and water security crisis in the Horn of Africa:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I thank the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, for securing this debate, for his excellent and comprehensive introduction and particularly for setting out so clearly some of the work undertaken by international bodies. I will not repeat any of that, because he spelt that out very clearly for us. As he noted, the climate crisis is at the heart of famines, conflicts and food insecurity across the globe today. We have already seen the disastrous effects of climate change in many parts of the developing world.

I want to focus on a few thoughts, particularly on the Horn of Africa, where we see this perhaps most clearly at the moment. Indeed, a terrible natural humanitarian disaster is unfolding before our very eyes, with thousands now fleeing the region in search of food security and water. It is vital to develop an effective strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the developing world. The Horn of Africa is currently facing a climate-induced drought and a serious food crisis affecting more than 36 million people, more than half of whom are children. UNICEF estimates that up to 5.7 million children need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition.

Votes: Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill

On 13th September 2023, the House of Lords debated the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill in the Report stage. Votes were held on amendments to the Bill, in which Bishops took part:

Votes: Energy Bill

On 12th September 2023, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Energy Bill. Votes were held on motions relating to amendments, in which bishops took part:

Bishop of St Albans asks about the climate impact of London Luton Airport

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 4th September 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to restrict the climate impact of London Luton Airport.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton (Con, Department for Transport): The Government has ambitious plans to decarbonise all aviation, as part of our Jet Zero strategy and is already supporting a variety of technology, fuel and market-based measures to do so.

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