On the 5th of December 2023, Barry, alongside his EAC colleagues, launched the Enviornmental Audit Committee report into the Financial Sector and Net Zero.
This launch was held live from Dubai at COP28 and was done alongside MPs Philip Dunne and Claudia Webb.
You can watch the full launch below:
On the 21st of November 2023 Barry sat on an Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee session for the UK trade policy: food and agriculture inquiry.
In this session Barry asked the panel of experts if, as other countries do, developing a “trade mandate” with Parliament for international trade negotiations would be valuable. Robert Sheasby, the Chief Executive at Agricultural Industries Confederation, described this suggestion as “a very sensible way to progress” in UK trade negotiation policy.
Alongside Mr Sheasby, this panel also featured Katie Doherty, CEO at International Meat Trade Association and Sean Ramsden, Director at Food and Drink Exporters Association.
In its second evidence session examining how to make the electricity grid ready for Net Zero Britain, on the 15th of November 2023, the Environmental Audit Committee will be questioning industry leads about what challenges they may face.
This panel featured Akshay Kaul, Director General of Infrastructure, Ofgem, Eleanor Warburton, Director of Energy Systems Management and Security, Ofgem, Claire Dykta, Director of Markets, National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) and Craig Dyke, Director of National Control, National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO).
Keeping the power on: our future energy technology mix - this was the subject of this weeks Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee session.
In it Barry questioned a panel of nuclear experts: Tom Greatrex (CEO, Nuclear Industry Association), Paul Spence (Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, EDF Energy), Ciara Fox (Senior Metallurgist, MoltexFlex) and Alastair Evans (Director of Corporate and Government Affairs, RollsRoyce SMR).
In this session Barry focussed on how the UK could efficiently introduce nuclear power and what role it would play in achieving Net Zero.
On the 14th of November 2023 Barry attended an Environment, Food and Rural Affair Select Committee session looking into how resilient is the UK’s food supply chain is.
This panel consisted of 3 experts Ms Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Rights and Food Policy at Which?, Professor Charlotte Hardman, Professor of Psychology of Eating Behaviour at the University of Liverpool and Dr Francesca Pontin, Research Data Scientist, Consumer Data Research Centre at the University of Leeds.
Barry asked this panel of experts why an avocado travelling from London is more expensive then one from Peru and questioned them on why the public’s trust in supermarkets is falling.
On the 8th of November 2023 Barry questioned Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Claire Coutinho in a Energy Security and Net Zero Committee session.
Barry raised the Cliamte Change Committee’s evidence that this government currently has no “credible” plan to acheive 38% of the country’s targets to acheive net zero.
On the 8th of November 2023 Barry sat on an Energy Security and Net Zero committee session looking into how best to develop a flexible energy grid fit for the future.
The panel featured Sarah Honan (Policy Manager for Demand Side Flexibility, Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE)), Jenny Russon (Research and Campaigns Officer, MCS Foundation) and James Johnston (CEO and Co-founder, Piclo).
This was followed by a different panel on the same topic, this time featuring Dr Mary Gillie (Founder and Director, Energy Local), Mark Apsey (Managing Director, Ameresco) and Dan Stone (Senior Planner for Net Zero, Centre for Sustainable Energy).
On the 13th of September 2023 Barry questioned the chair of the Fuel Poverty Comittee, Caroline Flint. Barry questioned Flint on the best practice of energy companies and where they are falling short in their support for customers.
What is the future of heatwaves in the UK, and how can we reduce emissions from cooling technologies such as air conditioners? This was the subject of the Enviornment Audit Committee’s session on the 18th of September 2023 which Barry was a part of.
This panel featured Professor Jason Lowe OBE, Head of Climate Services, Met Office Hadley Centre, Professor Lea Berrang Ford, Deputy Director and Head, Centre for Climate and Health Security, UK Health Security Agency and Dr Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer, The Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford.
On the 17th of October 2023 Barry was a part of the Envirornment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) select committee’s third session of the Pet Welfare Inquiry. Topics include animal importation, border checks and identification of biosecurity risks.
On the 6th of September 2023 Barry attended a session of the Energy Secuirty and Net Zero Committee, in which two panels were questioned.
The first was a collection of citizens advice bodies on energy bills: Adam Scorer (Chief Executive, National Energy Action), Gillian Cooper (Head of Energy, Citizens Advice), Simon Francis (Coordinator, End Fuel Poverty Coalition, Roni Marsh (Money and Cost of Living Team Manager, South West London Law Centres).
After thanking them for their work, Barry questioned them on energy support for individuals in non-traditional living situations including such as boats or nomadic lifestyles.
The panel after this was comprised of leaders of energy companies, Chris O'Shea (Chief Executive, Centrica (British Gas)), Philippe Commaret (Managing Director, Customers, EDF), Simon Oscroft (Co-founder, So Energy) and Chris Norbury (Chief Executive E.ON).
Barry questioned them on waiting times for customer support and how they have (or have not) implemneted OfGem’s recommendations to improve service.
After Mr O’Shea warned about the risks of increasing taxes on north sea oil and gas, Barry corrected the record, pointing out that "the UK has a lowest tax take and the highest subsidy of oil and gas extraction in the world.
On the 4th of September 2023 Barry attended an Enviornmental Audit Committee (EAC)’s polar research sub-committee.
In this session Barry questioned Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, George Freeman MP, on discrepency in facility costs between research centres in the Arctic and Antarctica and how much arctic research the USS David Attenborough (the ship that was nearly named Boaty McBoatface) is carrying out.
Freeman was “all ears” during Barry’s questioning, eagerly awaiting the recommendations of the Committee.
On the 19th of July 2023 Barry questioned two members of the Climate Change Committee, Chris Stark, the Chief Executive and Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE, Chair, Adaptation Sub-Committee.
On this panel Barry was faced with much agreement on his concerns over Government progress in achieving Net Zero. Barry raised issues of energy efficiency, retrofitting houses to be more energy efficient, heat pump installation and more.
Mr Stark of the Climate Change Committee agreed that Government Ministers had missed a “crucial window of opportunity” to improve energy effiiciency.
On the 18th of July 2023 Barry grilled a Government Ministeron his plan (or lack thereof) to tackle the issue of soil health degredation, which is costing the UK economy £1.2bn a year.
The panel featured Mark Spencer MP, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Fiona James, Deputy Director for Policy Design, Farming and Countryside Programme, Defra and Sion McGeever, Deputy Director for Access, Landscapes, Peatland and Soil, Defra.
On the 17th of July 2023 Barry questioned Jane Rumble OBE, Head of the Polar Regions Department at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during an Enviornmental Audit Committee Sub Committee on Polar Research.
“It’s difficult for researchers to know how they can communicate their findings to policy makers”, argues Barry, asking Ms Rumble what work is being done to improve communications between research and those who can turn said research into policy.
On the 12th of July 2023, Barry questioned a representative from the UK Atomic Energy Authority in the first public meeting for the first Energy, Security and Net Zero Select Committee.
Barry questioned the panel on their technology, arguing that, by the time it will come into effect, the 18 year olds sitting behind the panellists will be 93.
This was a part of the inquiry into the work of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, lead by Grant Shapps.
On the 12th of July 2023, Barry questioned Thames Water bosses “transparency” on how £15.7billion of debt was massaged into £14billion and how 151 workers may end up paying the price for the company’s mismanagement with their jobs.
Thames Water claimed that shovelling money to their share holders is “ancient history”… Barry stated that Sir Adrian and him have “different definitions of ancient”.
The company has to pay interest on its debt. That interest has gone up in line with CPI (inflation). So ultimately guess who is going to pay for it? They say it won’t mean higher water bills for consumers… let’s make sure we hold them to that.
After this Barry challenged the regulator, OFWAT who seem to have encouraged over-leveraging and allowed Macquarie to extract £2.8 billion for shareholders.
Who's responsible for monitoring indoor air quality and what enforcement powers do they have? Nobody and none.
on the 5th of July 2023 Barry sat with the Enviornmental Audit Committee to question an expert panel on outdoor and indoor air quality targets.
The panel featured Larissa Lockwood, Director for Clean Air at Global Action Plan, Professor Nicola Carslaw, Professor in Indoor Air Chemistry, University of York and Dr Tom Woolley, Architect and Environmental Consultant, Rachel Bevan Architects.
The panel recomended greater “long term monitoring” of indoor ventilation before we tackle the “much greater problem that is retrofitting our building stock” to better improve air quality.
“Canine fertility clinics” breed dogs to look “novel” but are not providing the appropriate veterinary care.
Barry Gardiner sat with the Enviornment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee on the 4th of July 2023 to examine pet welfare and abuse.
After being asked by Barry about the dangers of canine breeding facilities, one panelist argued that we need a Veterinary Act that is "appropriate for the 21st centuary" to better protect our dogs from harmful breeding.
The panel interviewed Sarah Carr, CEO, Naturewatch Foundation, Dr Melisa Donald, President, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), Dr Justine Shotton, Senior Vice President, British Veterinary Association (BVA) and Dr Sean Wensley, Senior Veterinary Surgeon for Animal Welfare and Professional Engagement, People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA)
“Virtually every other country in the world has engaged in land reform that has broken up large tracts of land ownership and democratised it” - Barry Gardiner.
The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee is looking into the next steps government should be taking on tenant farms - which make up roughly one third of all farmed land in England. This follows the government publishing, in May of this year, its response to a review of the sector undertaken by Baroness Kate Rock.
The Committee questioned Baroness Rock on the 27th if June 2023 on the recommendations in her report aimed at allowing tenanted farmers to deliver sustainable food production, meet the challenges of climate change and enhance biodiversity.