Foreign Office to push for global energy transition, says Lammy

David Lammy is set to position action on the climate and nature crisis as central to his department’s remit as he pledges the Foreign Office’s commitment to the global clean energy transition.

The Foreign Secretary will say Labour is “firing the starting gun” on its pledge to create a global clean power alliance that will facilitate sharing knowledge and technology to help more countries reach net-zero emissions.

The alliance also aims to help countries “leapfrog” fossil fuels and transition to renewable power systems with global investment and finance and to speed up the supply of critical minerals needed for energy grids and energy storage.

In a speech on Tuesday, he is expected to say: “This Government has set a landmark goal – to be the first major economy to deliver clean power by 2030.

“We will leverage that ambition to build an alliance committed to accelerating the clean energy transition.

“And today we are firing the starting gun on forming this new coalition.

“While some countries are moving ahead in this transition, others are being left behind.

“We need to accelerate the rollout of renewable energy across the globe in the way that this Government is doing at home.”

Mr Lammy and the Foreign Office will push for ambitious pledges on climate finance and reduced emissions at Cop29, the department said in a statement.

He will reinstate the UK Special Representative for Climate Change role and create a new UK Special Representative for Nature to help forge partnerships between the UK and other countries.

They will report to Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband and Environment Secretary Steve Reed respectively, as well as to the Foreign Secretary.

The UK Special Representative for Climate Change post was axed by Rishi Sunak’s government in 2023, leaving the UK as one of the only major economic powers at Cop28 in November without a specialist envoy.

Since taking office, the Labour Government has lifted the de facto ban on onshore wind and committed not to issue new oil and gas licences.

It has also formed a new state energy investment firm, GB Energy, to help boost renewables.

The Foreign Secretary is expected to say: “This crisis is not some discrete policy area, divorced from geopolitics, conflict and insecurity.

“The threat may not feel as urgent as a terrorist or an imperialist autocrat.

“But it is more fundamental. It is systemic. Pervasive. And accelerating towards us.

“Today, I am committing to you that while I am Foreign Secretary, action on the climate and nature crisis will be central to all the Foreign Office does.

“This is critical given the scale of the threat, but also the scale of the opportunity.”