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Before becoming a Member of are used as a platform to raise global Greg Clark
Parliament, Kwarteng worked as an ambitions beyond 2°C.
analyst in financial services. The UK will host the COP conference out
Kwarteng was elected as Member and Italy will host the pre-COP event,
of Parliament for Spelthorne in 2010. which includes a “significant youth
From 2010 until 2013 he was a member event” to recognise the role of youth
of the Transport Select Committee, climate strikes in raising climate
and in 2013 he joined the Work and ambitions across Europe.
Pensions Select Committee where he Perry claimed it was a great
was a member until 2015. “privilege” to work on BEIS’s work
In October 2016, Kwarteng joined the to deliver key frameworks for
Public Accounts Committee, where he sustainability and energy. GREG CLARK, Secretary of State
was a member until May 2017. for Business, Energy and Industrial
In 2015, Kwarteng was appointed as Strategy (BEIS) left the government
Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Michael Gove following the appointment of Boris
Leader of the House of Lords, and in 2017 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Johnson as PM.
he became Parliamentary Private Secretary Mr Clark, who held the post since
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. new July 2016, congratulated Mr Johnson
Kwarteng will have some big boots role but said “the time is right to a new team
to fill; with Claire Perry at the energy for a new premiership.”
helm, BEIS launched the Clean Growth “It has been an honour to serve
Strategy, signed the UK up to the the country as Secretary of State
Powering Past Coal Alliance, launched a for Business, Energy and Industrial
world-leading offshore wind sector deal Strategy for the last three years; and as
and sealed a bid for the UK to host the Communities Secretary, Universities
COP26 climate conference in 2020. & Science Minister, Cities Minister,
RELINQUISHING THE ROLE of Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Environment Secretary, newly-installed & Planning Minister,” the MP for
Claire Perry Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Tunbridge Wells said in a tweet.
COP26 President Gove’s responsibilities will include During his time at BEIS, Mr Clark
new managing an investment portfolio oversaw the publication of the
of land, property and financial
government’s flagship Industrial
role investments, and advising Johnson Strategy, in 2017.
on developing and implementing Clark has previously said the next
government policy. Conservative Prime Minister could
The job will also take Gove close to unleash a “wall of investment” if he
the Brexit negotiations, having been a resolves Brexit with a deal, but risks
key figure in the Vote Leave campaign. plunging the British economy into
As one of the driving forces of uncertainty if he allows the UK to
the Brexit campaign, Gove crash out of the EU.
PERRY, WHO RECENTLY took a leave replaced Andrea Leadsom
of absence from her post at BEIS, has at the helm of Defra
accepted the new Prime Minister’s offer in June 2017. Green
to become COP26 President. groups were initially
“Delighted to accept new PM’s offer cautious of Gove’s
to become COP26 President, working appointment as
closely with him but in order to do he had reportedly
the job properly I suggested that I attempted to
relinquish the broader Clean Growth remove climate
and Energy portfolio and he has change issues
agreed,” Perry posted on Twitter. from the school
The COP 26 presidency is an curriculum
extremely important position. It is during a previous
hoped that COP25, taking place in stint as Education
Chile, will finally set out roadmaps Secretary.
to deliver on the Paris Agreement
rulebook, which was created at COP24
in Poland late last year.
COP26, however, will take place in
2020 - viewed by many as the deadline
for the Paris Agreement to be fully
implemented and adopted across the
globe. The recent scientific, corporate
and youth-led movements to prioritise
the 1.5°C ambition of the global accord
could also mean that the next two COPs

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