CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE UK'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE KOPERNIKUS SATELLITE PROGRAMME

That this House recognises that the UK has established a lead in the understanding of climate change, with the Hadley Centre, Tyndall Centre and Walker Centre amongst many other highly regarded institutions providing essential insights into the causes and effects of climate change; notes that to follow Lord Stern's advice that more will have to be done to tackle climate change it will be necessary to increase the global research effort; therefore calls on the Government to meet fully its funding obligations for the European Space Agency's Kopernikus earth observation programme; and further notes that by doing so it will be making a firm commitment to the development of the UK-based space industry.