As part of a statement to the house by the Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change (ECC), he has also taken questions from MPs on the government’s Paris committments.

In a statement a few days ago, InfernoPlato, ex-prime minister and now ECC, outlined how the government has attempted to reach the UK’s committments to the Paris agreement, signed in 2015.

The Minister said that the government was planning a “Climate Change Bill”, which would inculde a Carbon Levy, something the Classical Liberals attempted to introduce at the start of the term, but was voted down by Government MPs.

The bill, he said, would aim to:

require the Secretary to detail how to government is implementing its 2015 commitments

close all coal power plants in 10 years (accelerated to 5 years)

invest in renewables and end fossil fuel subsidies

introduce a carbon levy

He also cited the government’s Agriculture Sustainability Strategy, worked on with the Environment Secretary (ex-Conservative antier, at the time) and the rise in the 2050 renewable energy target to 99%.

InfernoPlato has also come under fire from the opposition recently for failing to attend his Minister’s Questions last week, after the Prime Minister earlier committed that all members of cabinet will be required to answer more than half of the questions, or face losing their job. The Secretary responded to the questions that he missed in this statement too.

At the end of his statement, the minister announced his resignation, citing his inability to attend MQs due to personal reasons.

Earlier this week, the Government replaced InfernoPlato with another former Prime Minister, the recently retired Leafy_Emerald.

DF44, former Prime Minister, who now leads the Climate Rebellion faction of the Green Left Movement, responded to a question from The Daily Telegraph, saying

I can outright confirm that InfernoPlato contacted me on the matter of the Climate Change Bill – a point on which I have to imagine the recent fracking motion from the oppositon might have benefitted from! Whilst I still don’t think that the bill goes far enough in many areas, it was a proper step in the right direction, rather than a token shuffle that we have often seen be promptly walked back with interest. When it comes around it is likely that I will vote for it, but I am conscious that it is not a solution, and I will continue to ensure that the Government is held to account on climate change, without using a fig leaf as a shield. It is highly unfortunate, and I cannot quite believe I am saying this after the period I was Prime Minister in, that InfernoPlato is resigning. The Government has failed one of their harder working ministers by failing to seek a substitute to a Minister’s Questions. I’m aware that I cannot complain too highly – I was also unable to attend due to work co-ordinating climate action protests including upcoming School Strikes – but the Government I’m sure has plenty of Junior Ministers who could’ve stepped to the plate to provide accountability for the department at the time. On the matter of Leafy as the new appointment, if what I have heard is accurate, is that I hardly view his Government as one with a green legacy. If he wishes to match his predecessor, then he has a heck of a challenge, likely starting with him returning to the debating chamber and making a proper comment to the house for the first time since the General Election. Until we start seeing that, I fear the Government has replaced the active with the inactive, all in the name of improving activity. DF44

HKNorman, the Shadow Climate Change Secretary to whose questions InfernoPlato didn’t respond during MQs, said the following:

I’m glad he has resigned as the Secretary of State, because he has a pretty dismal record in the position. His statement, while informative, does not make up for his missing MQs, as I had a whole array of questions planned as follow ups to whatever answers he may have had, so there is a definite lack of accountability there, so it is right that he has resigned. I think Leafy is an interesting choice for the role. It could bring a lot of new ideas to the role, but that said we can’t really call pin many hopes on him to make any real effort to fight climate change, as the Conservative record speaks for itself. Labour is proud to have joined the Greens and Climate Rebellion in advocating for a Green New Deal, which we have made the heart of our agenda for office. HKNorman, Shadow ECC