Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET
Dear Minister of State,
The COP28 negotiations that are due to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the close of 2023 are a crucial moment for securing international agreement on the steps required to tackle the global climate crisis.
Much progress has been made at the last two rounds of negotiations in Egypt and the United Kingdom respectively.
During the UK’s presidency we saw significant commitments on phasing out coal power and reversing deforestation. Last year ground-breaking progress was made on providing support for the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund.
Realising these commitments and the many others from the wider UNFCCC process will ultimately require investment in the people that will make them happen. It is vital that all countries put in place a clear plan for creating the green jobs and skills that can deliver on climate mitigation and adaptation.
Despite the great progress made in many areas, including in the UK through the Green Jobs Delivery Group and the Sustainability and Climate Change education strategy, skills and human resourcing have not been prioritised in the cover decisions reached at recent COP negotiations.
Collectively the signatories to this letter believe that more ambitious and strategic action is needed on green education, jobs and skills if we are to achieve our climate goals.
To this end we request that you, as the Minister of State responsible for the UK’s role in COP28, champion this call and work with your international counterparts to ensure that the cover decisions reached at the UAE negotiations adequately reflect the need to invest in and develop a global workforce that can tackle climate change head on.
Specifically, we would like to see a cover decision that mandates a requirement for Paris Agreement signatories to include a detailed education and skills investment and development roadmap as part of their Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC.
We recognise that there must be a ‘just transition’ for those workers and sectors which will be negatively impacted as we move to a more sustainable world. It is therefore important that appropriate capacity-building support is provided to countries to enable them to develop and implement their roadmaps.
We would very much welcome the opportunity to meet with you prior to the commencement of COP28 to discuss our calls.
Yours sincerely,
IEMA corporate partners
- ABHI
- Auditel UK
- CH&CO
- Content With Purpose Limited
- Cranswick plc
- Govia Thameslink Railway
- ISS UK
- J. Coffey Construction
- Keltbray
- Nestle UK & I
- NUSSL
- Openreach
- Oscar Mayer
- OVO
- Recycling Lives Ltd
- RSK
- Scania UK
- SUEZ UK
- Sweco UK
- Techbuyer
- University of Suffolk
- VolkerWessels UK
Professional bodies
- British Ecological Society
- Chartered Institute of Waste Management
- Energy Institute
- EngineeringUK
- Institute of Air Quality Management
- Institute of Directors
- Institute and Faculty of Actuaries
- Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
- Institution of Agricultural Engineers
- Institution of Environmental Sciences
- Landscape Institute
- The Market Research Society
- Royal Meteorological Society
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- Society for the Environment
Trade bodies, interest groups and consultancies
- AESG
- Aldersgate Group
- British Chambers of Commerce
- Green Alliance
- Make UK
- Resilient Sustainability Services LLC
- UKHospitality
