Joint Statement by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Spain on Wildfires and Action on Climate Change

The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Ed Miliband, following his recent appointment, met in Madrid on July 29 with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain, H. E. José Manuel Albares Bueno.

At a time when Europe is facing record heatwaves and terrible wildfires as a consequence of the climate crisis, the two Ministers agreed that this summer’s wildfires demonstrated that climate change was now a national security emergency facing Europe and threatening our way of life. 

Both parties agreed that tackling the climate crisis was an urgent policy priority for all countries- to tackle the cost of living, protect health and wellbeing, and to ensure European economic and energy security.  The two Ministers noted that climate action was essential to protect not just current generations, but our children and grandchildren too. 

The two Ministers underscored the priority they attach to combating climate change within their foreign policy and agreed on the need to co-lead the green transition, convinced that decarbonisation, energy security, environmental protection and resilience are inseparable from our security and the prosperity and competitiveness of our economies.

Both parties recognise that climate change is a global challenge that must be addressed through effective multilateralism and respect for International Law. In this regard, both Ministers reaffirm their support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and express the need to work towards the fulfilment of the international commitments contained in the Paris Agreement, underlining in particular the urgency of increasing global efforts to limit the increase in temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. They likewise recall the importance of scientific evidence and acknowledge the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in this respect.

The two Ministers emphasise the importance of adopting the necessary measures to drastically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, strengthening cooperation on clean energy and supporting countries of the Global South in their energy transition. Both parties reaffirm the importance of international solidarity in addressing climate change, highlighting the need to tackle the disproportionate effects that climate change has on developing countries.

To these ends, the two Ministers underline the need to mobilise sustainable financing at scale with the challenge we face, enabling a timely transition towards decarbonised and resilient economies. The two Ministers agree on the importance of promoting investment frameworks that facilitate sustainable finance, innovation and competitiveness, and recognise the key role of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks in channeling investment and supporting climate action.