Shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy has tasked one of the three supporting MPs in the shadow team with an undiluted focus on climate issues ahead of the Paris talks this year.
Barry Gardiner will take on the full climate change brief, but Utility Week understands that Nandy will attend the Paris talks on behalf of the party.
In contrast, the Conservative-led government has been without a dedicated minister for climate change since Greg Barker resigned from the role in the July 2014 parliamentary reshuffle.
Meanwhile shadow energy responsibilities will be shared by energy policy veteran Alan Whitehead and relative newcomer Clive Lewis.
Whitehead will take on responsibilities for generation and transmission, and Lewis will drive forward Nandy’s call for a democratisation of energy through community energy schemes and decentralised generation.
The full list of responsibilities for the three MPs is as follows:
Barry Gardiner MP, shadow minister for climate change
• Climate change
• International climate change
• Millennium goals
• Climate change agreements
• Climate science
• Carbon reduction commitment
• National carbon markets and EU ETS
• Investment/divestment
Alan Whitehead MP, shadow minister for generation and transmission
• Security of supply
• Renewable energy
• CCS and coal policy
• Grid policy including smart grids and network of recharging points
• Gas policy (including fracking)
• Oil and gas exploration, licensing and revenues
• Offshore environment and commissioning
• Planning reform and consents
• Levies policy
• Capacity markets
• District network operators
• Nuclear policy
Clive Lewis MP, shadow minister for markets, consumers and economy
• Decentralised energy and small scale renewables
• Energy innovation
• Green economy, jobs and skills
• Green Investment Bank
• Warm homes
• Energy efficiency and the Green Deal
• Tariff reform
• Consumer protection (including CMA inquiry)
• Fuel poverty