World leaders must come together for our planet and deliver in Glasgow on the promise made at COP21 in Paris, COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma will say today (Tuesday 12th October) in a major speech at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in the French capital.

The landmark Paris Agreement was reached at COP in 2015, which committed countries to avoid the worst effects of climate change by limiting global temperature rises well below 2C, aiming for 1.5C.

Mr Sharma will point to progress made since the Paris Agreement and outline the importance of leaders taking ambitious action at COP26 in the UK later this month. The Summit will open in Glasgow on 31st October.

The COP26 President will highlight four elements for COP26 to deliver the level of ambition required: 1) climate action plans to significantly reduce emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by mid-century, and to support adaptation to tackle climate threats 2) concrete action to deliver these plans, including agreements on reducing coal, electric cars, protecting trees and reducing methane emissions 3) to honour the $100bn dollar pledge and 4) a negotiated outcome that paves the way for a decade of ever-increasing ambition.

Mr Sharma will echo the call from the countries most vulnerable to climate change for all G20 countries and major emitters of greenhouse gases to come forward with enhanced, ambitious 2030 climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions. The leaders of the G20 countries will meet in Rome at the end of this month.

He will also urge world leaders to take the lead from those climate vulnerable countries which are taking action in the most difficult circumstances to protect the planet and its people.

COP26 President-Designate Mr Sharma is expected to warn leaders:

COP26 is not a photo op or a talking shop. It must be the forum where we put the world on track to deliver on climate. And that is down to leaders. It is leaders who made a promise to the world in this great city six years ago. And it is leaders that must honour it.

Responsibility rests with each and every country. And we must all play our part. Because on climate, the world will succeed, or fail as one.

Alok Sharma will be clear that we must see new commitments on public and private finance to support the countries most vulnerable to climate change and progress on adaptation to the effects of our changing climate, accounting for the loss and damage that it can cause.

He will also speak about the work done ahead of COP26 to make it the most inclusive COP to date, despite the unprecedented challenges the world faces in hosting an event during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will set out the measures in place to make the Summit safe, including the vaccine offer to developing countries, daily testing regime and social distancing in the venue.

On this, Alok Shama is expected to say:

It will be an extraordinary COP in extraordinary times. But collectively, we must pull together to make it work. Forging unity from the unfamiliar. Because we have no choice but to deliver. Each country must step-up. And as COP26 President I will ensure that every voice is heard. That the smallest nations are sitting face to face with the world’s great powers. As equal parties to the process.

Ends.

Thousands of new homes will be built on underused and derelict land to regenerate local areas and help people onto the property ladder, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced today (12 October 2021).

Almost £58 million from the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) has been allocated to 53 councils.

The funding will boost local areas by transforming unloved and disused sites into vibrant communities for people to live and work, with the demolition of unsightly derelict buildings and disused car parks and garages. This will help to protect countryside and green spaces while an extra 5,600 homes are built on these sites, supporting young people and families across the country into home ownership.

The funding could also support up to 17,000 jobs across the housing and construction sector and the wider economy.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP said:

We are levelling up and backing home ownership in every corner of the country, delivering new high-quality, affordable homes and creating thriving places where people want to live, work and visit.

Making the most of previously developed land is a government priority and it will help protect our cherished countryside and green spaces.

Today’s allocations include £5 million for self and custom build projects. A further £20 million from the BLRF has also been designated to help accelerate the self and custom build sector, with councils now able to bid for the remaining funding – giving local people the opportunity to build and design their own homes.

Cabinet Office Minister, Lord Agnew said:

This support being provided to local authorities is another clear demonstration of this government’s commitment to levelling up the country.

The latest projects to benefit from this support, through Brownfield Land Release funding, will not only help unlock under-used public sector sites for homes but also help deliver jobs and save taxpayers’ money.

Cllr James Jamieson, Local Government Association Chairman, said:

One Public Estate and Brownfield Land Release funding play a crucial role in supporting the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and supporting councils to transform their assets, create better services, and release land for much-needed new homes and regeneration across the country.

This latest news is more proof that this programme works. Councils recognise how valuable this support is, and are being ever more ambitious in their ideas to use this funding to kick-start transformation, regeneration, and new development in their communities.

Boosting housing supply is central to the levelling up agenda. Last year 244,000 homes were delivered – the highest number of new homes for over 30 years. The government aims to build up to 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s to put home ownership within reach for more people across the country, making it a more mainstream, realistic and affordable option for people across the country.

The government last year announced the £400 million Brownfield Fund for 7 mayoral combined authorities which will also deliver much-needed new homes on brownfield land – unlocking 26,000 high-quality homes.

The £150 million backed Help to Build scheme was announced in April. It will allow access to low deposit mortgages and improve affordability of home ownership for people who want to build their own homes in a similar way to the Help to Buy scheme.

In addition, the review by Richard Bacon MP, which recommended a major scaling up of the self and custom build sector, has been warmly welcomed by the government with a response to the findings to be published in due course.

£57.8 million from the £75 million Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) is being allocated, of which £25 million was made available to self and custom build projects.

£5 million from the self and custom build pot has been allocated and now local councils are being encouraged to bid for the remaining share of £20 million to deliver further self and custom build projects on Brownfield Land.

Find out more about the latest round of One Public Estate and self and custom build funding.

The BLRF is delivered by the One Public Estate programme which is a collaboration between DLUHC, the Local Government Association and the Cabinet Office.

A further £6 million is available to local councils in England through the One Public Estate programme, which aims to help local public services collaborate, redesign how services are located, and release land for housing.

Graduates applying to train as teachers in high-demand subjects will receive thousands of pounds in tax-free cash bursaries under Government plans to recruit and retain world-class teachers.

A total of £129 million is available for trainee teachers starting in 2022/23, which includes increased bursaries of £15,000 for languages, geography and design and technology, and £10,000 for biology – in addition to the existing £24,000 bursary or £26,000 scholarship for maths, physics, chemistry and computing.

This follows an announcement by the Prime Minister last week that teachers of maths, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will receive salary boosts of up to £3,000 – to support the recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects.

Existing teachers and school leaders in every school in the country will also be able to access free qualifications including managing behaviour, developing other teachers and being a great head teacher. The National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) will help them develop and progress in their careers, and ensure they have the skills needed to support young people to catch up and thrive following the impact of the pandemic.

Schools Minister Robin Walker said:

Great teachers can transform young people’s lives, and I want this country to recruit and retain the most talented, committed teachers who support students to thrive and achieve their potential.

Quality, face to face teaching is the single most important factor in supporting our young people to recover from the impact of the pandemic, and this investment provides a fantastic opportunity to attract and develop the world-leading teachers and school leaders who will guide, care for and educate our children for years to come.

Research has shown that teacher quality is the single biggest determinant of pupils’ outcomes within school, and the Government is investing £184 million to provide 150,000 high-quality NPQs across the next three years. This forms part of the Government’s commitment to provide 500,000 teacher training opportunities across all levels of the profession during this Parliament, helping to give every single student the opportunity to be taught by dedicated, highly-trained teachers, and level up opportunity across the country.

NPQs are trusted qualifications accredited by the Department for Education, for those employed at state-funded schools and 16-19 organisations. The £184 million for the training forms part of the Government’s £3 billion education recovery programme, which also includes an expanded tutoring offer to support pupils to catch up.

Applications for teacher training open today (Tuesday 12 October) through the department’s new Apply service, which was designed to streamline the application process and help prospective teachers find the right course for them.