HC Deb 01 March 2000 vol 345 cc273-4W
Mr. Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy with regard to nuclear power projects as eligible projects in the Clean Development Mechanism, currently developed under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. [112168]

Mr. Meacher

I have been asked to reply.

The Government believe that all projects under the Clean Development Mechanism must contribute to the overall objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—to reduce and stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere—and assist the developing country host in achieving sustainable development. The detailed rules that will govern the Clean Development Mechanism are due to be agreed at the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November this year. In advance of that, the Government have noted the case for prior exclusions as a way to ensure environmental integrity, and also attach importance to the need for developing countries to play a key role in determining their own sustainable development needs and priorities.

Mr. Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from(a) Commonwealth and (b) other Governments concerning the UK's policy on the eligibility of nuclear power projects under the rules for the Clean Development Mechanism. [112169]

Mr. Meacher

I have been asked to reply.

The UK Government have had recent representations from Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth Ministers regarding the potential exclusion of nuclear power projects from the Clean Development Mechanism. At the Fifth Conference of the Parties (CoP5) in November 1999, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions received representations from Indian and Chinese Ministers. Both Ministers were concerned that the UK should not support specific exclusions from the Clean Development Mechanism and that the host developing country should determine whether projects met their own sustainable development aims. At CoP5, some EU Ministers and I briefly discussed project eligibility for the Clean Development Mechanism. I understand that the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not received any representations.