Jersey commits to climate change by signing Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement on climate change has been extended to include Jersey.

The UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, has formally approved the move which means that the UK’s ratification of the Paris Agreement will now cover the Island. The UK’s climate obligations under the Agreement will, therefore, also now include Jersey and its territorial waters.

What is the Paris Agreement? It is an international treaty, which came into force in 2016, which set long-term goals for parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature increases, and to work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Confirmation of the extension comes after Jersey’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap was, last week, approved by the States Assembly, setting the policies to put the Island on a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.

Jersey’s Minister for External Relations, Senator Ian Gorst, said: “The extension of the Paris Agreement to Jersey demonstrates just how seriously the Island takes its obligations to tackle the climate emergency at a domestic and international level. On behalf of Jersey, I would like to thank the UK Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for recognising this and for affirming and supporting our request to be incorporated into the Paris Agreement framework.”

The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, met with Senator Gorst and Jersey’s Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, this morning to formally mark the extension of the Paris Agreement to Jersey, following the commitment made in
Glasgow at COP26.

Jersey’s Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young, said: “The recently approved Carbon Neutral Roadmap sets out the policies which will shape how Jersey plays its part in global efforts to reduce emissions, and follows a clearly defined trajectory of carbon reduction. Today’s news on the extension ensures we’ll rightly be held to account by the rest of the world on our work to further incentivise, encourage and support more ambitious climate action in Jersey.”

UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Greg Hands, said: “I am delighted that the Paris Agreement has now officially been extended to include Jersey. The Island has already demonstrated strong ambition to join the UK to reach net-zero by 2050 and I look forward to working together to achieve our joint climate goals.”

The main picture shows (left to right): Jersey’s Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondre, UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth Greg Hands, Jersey’s Minister for External Relations Senator Ian Gorst.