World Environment Day

That this House recognises the profound impact covid-19 has had across the globe, affecting health and health services, impacting the global economy, and exacerbating social and economic inequalities; notes however that the world continues to face an ever-growing environmental emergency; believes the pandemic has highlighted the importance of governments working together, and that this global response must be built on to address the climate crisis; welcomes the joint statement to this effect released on World Environment Day by the national science academies of eighteen Commonwealth Nations, including the UK’s Royal Society; echoes the statement’s calls on Commonwealth governments to continue to address the joint challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, and to ensure that global economic recovery from the pandemic is environmentally sustainable across the Commonwealth and globally; and urges the UK government to use the opportunity of COP26 to help coordinate these discussions and support a joint approach to tackling these challenges.