Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets

15. When he plans to publish the Government’s response to the consultation entitled “Voluntary carbon and nature markets: raising integrity”.

May I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her leadership on this issue? The UK is a global leader on carbon pricing and nature recovery. We are committed to strengthening carbon markets to help us achieve our climate and nature goals. At London Climate Action Week, we will set out our work to centre integrity and build scale in these markets through the coalition to grow carbon markets, and the consultation response will be published later this year.

I thank the Minister for her response, and I welcome the UK’s leadership. Investors are concerned that the role of nature-based solutions in carbon market frameworks is not being fully recognised. With London Climate Action Week fast approaching, can she reassure investors that the Government see nature-based solutions as crucial to our collective efforts to tackle climate change, and that we will pursue this endeavour during upcoming article 6 negotiations?

I assure my hon. Friend and investors that nature-based solutions are central to our response to this issue. London is the centre of carbon markets, and we want to protect that. We have been focusing on the coalition to grow carbon markets, which we will work on at London Climate Action Week, but I would love to work with her to make sure that we give reassurance, act with integrity and come forward with the necessary proposals.

Does the Minister plan to allow clean community energy companies to sell power directly to households and businesses?

We are pursuing that through the local power plan, and we intend for that to happen.