COP31 in Türkiye comes at a pivotal moment for global climate action.  The world is experiencing the accelerating impacts of climate change alongside acute pressures from energy insecurity, economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability.

This summer showed climate change is no longer a distant threat. Here in Britain, we saw record heatwaves, droughts and wildfires. Homes were destroyed as fires raged, extreme heat closed schools across the land and strained our NHS and public services.

The first duty of government is to protect our communities. And the reality is that Britain cannot tackle a challenge of this scale alone. Climate change doesn't respect borders, which is why working with other countries through processes like the COP remains so important. While the scale and severity of the impact varies country to country, it has consequences for us all, right now.

The only way to safeguard our security and unlock the jobs and growth we need for our shared future prosperity is to accelerate the clean energy transition and strengthen our resilience in this new age of extreme weather - from flooding to wildfires - driven by climate change.  The UK has a strong history of action on climate change and we remain committed to our clean energy transition, to climate action and to supporting others around the world. Working multilaterally is in the collective interest and in the UK’s interest.

The science is clear: we will exceed 1.5C, likely by 2030. But this remains the right goal, and we are committed to following the science and to limiting the scale and duration of any overshoot as much as possible. We must use this point in time wisely – it must be the impetus for us to double down on reducing emissions and helping people to adapt to these new circumstances. We must limit temperature rise as much as we can, to secure a safer future.

The decisions taken, and commitments made, at COP31 will help determine whether the world can accelerate action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement while delivering greater security, resilience and prosperity for people across the world.

The Prime Minister has set out his intention to attend COP31 in Türkiye, demonstrating this Government’s commitment to meeting the climate challenge and working with international partners to deliver the action needed in response to the growing impacts of climate change. I will attend COP31 and will lead the UK delegation during the negotiations. The Foreign Secretary will also attend COP31, reflecting the importance of climate action to the UK’s international partnerships, security and prosperity.

Our priority at COP31 is to work with all countries to keep 1.5C within reach, by accelerating the transition to clean energy and electrification, tackling methane emissions, protecting forests and oceans, strengthening our resilience to a changing climate while unlocking finance to deliver all of these objectives.  We also want to unlock the opportunities to drive forward clean growth.

So, at COP31 we will work with other countries to:

• Accelerate the transition to clean energy and electrification and nature-positive economies. As we drive forward our transition to clean energy and electrify our economy at home, the UK will work with other countries to do the same. This is key to reducing exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets, bringing energy Bills down, delivering energy security while unlocking opportunities for jobs, growth and investment.

• Spotlight the need for global action on methane. The fastest way to slow near-term warming is to curb methane and other super-pollutants. At COP31 we will continue to press for wider action on this critical issue.

• We will also push for progress to protect the critical ecosystems on which we rely, including forests and oceans; to support more sustainable food and agriculture systems, including fertilisers, and the transition to a circular economy; and to respond to the risks that climate change and biodiversity loss pose to national security.

• Build resilience to the impacts of climate change, unlock finance and accelerate implementation of commitments countries have already made. The climate crisis is not a future threat but a present reality. At COP31 we will push for stronger practical action and a systemic approach to building resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable, and to reduce the impacts of the shocks we face from climate change. We need to make progress to unlock finance, including by mobilising private capital more effectively, and improving access to and quality of finance for the energy transition and adaptation and resilience.

• In the negotiations, we must uphold the integrity of the Paris Agreement and our collective commitment to limit warming to 1.5C, even in the face of overshoot and grounded in the best available science. This is critical to build the foundations for a successful second Global Stocktake at COP33.

The transition is a major opportunity to unlock growth and investment for all countries. We want to maximise UK growth from the rapidly growing global green economy.  Building on our own transition to clean energy and electrification at home, we can promote British expertise and clean solutions internationally.

The UK will continue to work constructively with all Parties, international institutions, businesses, investors, cities, regions, Indigenous Peoples, civil society and communities to accelerate implementation of the commitments already agreed and secure further progress where it is needed. Success at COP31 will depend on countries working together to respond to the scale of the challenge while recognising the opportunities that climate action presents.

We will update the House in the usual way once negotiations have concluded.