FCDO Minister for the Pacific and International Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith, has today (7 June), signed a new Partnership with the Malaysian Environment and Water Minister, Dato Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, to strengthen co-operation on climate action.

The ‘UK-Malaysia Climate Partnership’ will see both countries work together to step up action on climate and biodiversity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by sharing knowledge and technical expertise to build capacity and increase ambition.

The Partnership covers five main areas: collaboration on climate and biodiversity issues, knowledge sharing, promoting scientific and technical collaboration, supporting private sector involvement, and promoting outreach activities.

The Partnership will further deepen ties between the UK and Malaysia following the agreement of a new bilateral Strategic Partnership in November 2021.

Minister for the Pacific and the International Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith, said:

Action to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss requires commitment and collaboration. The UK-Malaysia Climate Partnership marks an important step in building on the progress made at COP26, and will further deepen the strong ties and knowledge-sharing between our countries to address this global challenge.

Malaysia has taken significant action on clean growth, sustainable urbanisation, green finance, forest and biodiversity protection, supply chains and carbon markets, and by continuing to share our experiences and expertise we can work together to limit carbon emissions and protect precious natural ecosystems.

At COP26, hosted by the UK in Glasgow last year, Malaysia, which has around 54% forest cover and is home to some of the oldest and most biodiverse forests in the world, committed to the Global Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, and the Global Methane Pledge, as well as the FACT Dialogue Roadmap for Action, and the Global Action Agenda for Innovation in Agriculture (ClimateShot).

The UK is delivering several projects in Malaysia which are contributing in practical ways including strengthening nature-based solutions in the forested state of Terengganu, supporting low-carbon city planning in Iskandar, promoting sustainable urbanisation in Kuala Lumpur, renewable energy generation in off-grid villages in Sabah, and mobilising green finance by working with Malaysian financial institutions including the Central Bank (Bank Negara Malaysia).

At COP26, the UK also announced new support to Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia. The £110 million ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility will support new sustainable infrastructure projects and the £274 million fund, under the UK Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme, will strengthen climate adaptation across the Indo-Pacific.

• UK Work and Pensions Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, chairs first OECD Ministerial meeting on employment and labour markets since 2016
• Ministers from all 38 countries agree to ambitious pledge to focus on sustainability, equality and young people
• Members condemn Russian aggression, whose participation with the OECD was suspended in March this year

Supporting careers for young people was at the heart of the agreement adopted by ministers from all OECD countries, as part of their commitment to create more diverse, sustainable, and robust labour markets.

Led by UK Work and Pensions Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, the discussion focused on the impacts of the pandemic as well as recent challenges, such as the rise in the cost of living triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The UK minister addressed her counterparts with insight into the UK’s successful experience of building a strong labour market post-pandemic. Latest data shows the UK currently has a national unemployment rate of 3.7% – the lowest since 1974 with over a million more disabled people in work since 2017.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said:

The importance of focusing on decent, sustainable and high-quality work for all was shared by international ministers around the table today, along with a commitment to promote life-long learning and build inclusivity in our workforce.

As we move on from the pandemic, and face common issues in our labour markets, we must continue to work together to find united solutions and build a fairer and greener global economy.

Delegates also condemned the ongoing Russian aggression, as countries stood in solidarity with Ukraine, after a decision was taken to suspend Russia’s participation in OECD activity in March 2022.

Last year, the UK’s G7 Presidency made it a priority to get people back into quality and more sustainable jobs and invest in skills to boost economic recovery.

Today’s Employment and Labour Ministerial, which was held with an official theme of looking beyond the COVID-19 crisis to a better labour market that works for all, reflected the UK’s ongoing commitment to building a strong and inclusive labour market, including working internationally to tackle gender pay gaps.

Ministers also agreed to put environmental challenges at the heart of their plans, and support workers to transition to sustainable sectors, aligning with a key ambition set out by the UK Prime Minister at the COP26 Climate Change summit in Glasgow to create millions of green jobs by unlocking both public and private sector cash.

Further information

The OECD is a group of 38 like-minded countries. It was formed in 1961, as a permanent body for taking forward the reconstruction of post-war Europe, following the Marshall Plan.

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• Science & Technology Portfolio launched to support new projects across Defence
• More than £2 billion of R&D funding allocated between now and 2026.
• New space sensors to be launched from UK later this year

A new, ambitious Defence Science & Technology agenda, backed by £2 billion of investment and including an exciting new satellite launch, has been commissioned today.

Aimed at driving forward cutting-edge research and developing new Defence capabilities, the Science & Technology Portfolio outlines a series of ambitious programmes, encouraging industry collaboration and input to meet future Defence needs.

One ground-breaking project in the new portfolio is the Coordinated Ionospheric Reconstruction Cubesat Experiment (CIRCE) – a miniaturised space weather suite onboard two satellites – which will be launched later this year in partnership with the US Naval Research Laboratory.

The CIRCE mission will see three miniature sensors fixed to two cereal box-sized satellites to collect data on space weather as part of Virgin Orbit’s Launcher One rocket from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay later this year.

The miniature sensors have been developed for the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) by University College London, the University of Bath, and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, and drawing on expertise from the University of Surrey. They will monitor changes within the ionosphere – a layer of the Earth’s atmosphere about 80 to 1,000 km above the surface – where variations in the environment can interfere with the operation of GPS, communications and sensing technology.

Paving the way for similar technology to be used on future satellite deployments, the miniature sensors could expand the ability to collect measurements in space to enhance space weather modelling capabilities. This knowledge would assist our Armed Forces to maintain communication and intelligence capabilities on the frontline.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin, said:

Exploring and using space is crucial for developing cutting-edge Defence capabilities that will ensure our Armed Forces can operate at the highest level anywhere on the battlefield.

We are investing record amounts across our science and technology portfolio to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of innovation and sustains its strategic advantage over our adversaries.

Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, Commander of UK Space Command, said:

Defence science and technological activity in space has never been more important, whether it is in support of military operations or helping to combat climate change, defence innovation is at the forefront of this work.

After it enters orbit from Spaceport Cornwall, CIRCE will enhance our understanding of space weather and help us to keep critical satellites safe from the many hazards associated with operating in space.

The CIRCE mission forms just one element of a broader Science & Technology Portfolio announced today, aimed at driving forward cutting-edge research and developing new capabilities that currently do not exist anywhere around the world.

Building on previous projects including testing autonomous systems and developing state-of-the-art capabilities for our F-35 fighter jets, the MOD will work with the best of British industry and academia to develop new and exciting defence technology.

£2 billion will be invested between now and 2026 to develop programmes which underpin the development of the generation-after-next of military capabilities Key elements of the future-facing portfolio include:

• Plans to develop a new weapon demonstrator capable of operating up to hypersonic speeds to better equip our Armed Forces against future threats.
• Expanded research into AI technologies, better understanding how they can benefit service personnel on the front line.
• Investment to build defence capabilities in space, improving intelligence, communication, and surveillance.

The £2 billion outlined is part of the £6.6 billion investment into research and development following the £24 billion increase in the defence budget announced in the 2021 Defence Command Paper. Designed to meet the MOD’s capability needs, the Science & Technology portfolio will ensure the UK Armed Forces have access to the newest and most cutting-edge technology.

Dstl Chief Executive Dr Paul Hollinshead said:

Dstl’s world-class scientists are committed to delivering the best scientific advice and technological solutions, giving the armed forces operational advantage, the edge in decision making, and saving lives.

The new portfolio will see defence enhancing its hypersonic research programme alongside significant science and technology investment in AI, cyber, electromagnet activities, novel sensors, advanced materials, space and support to the nuclear deterrent.