BSRIA has welcomed the outcome of the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which completed the stages of negotiation this weekend in Paris.

World leaders met to try to reach an agreement to stabilise the climate and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The aims include driving down carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels as soon as possible to limit global warming to “well below” 2°C from pre-industrial times and possibly as low as 1.5°C.

UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Amber Rudd, said “...countries have agreed to do this. They have to come forward with the proposals and what you saw at the conference over the past few weeks was the support from civil society, NGOs and critically from businesses who are going to help pay for this”.

BSRIA chief executive, Julia Evans, said: “The achievement of this broadly based agreement is a step forward in the drive towards climate control. However, if businesses within the industry are expected to pick up the financial tab, we now need Government to set the direction to allow industry to play its part in leading this vital global challenge.

“Recent government announcements have identified a shrinking investment in renewables. Indeed, there is mounting political scepticism about the UK’s own commitment to standing behind these words, as a result of a series of policy U-turns on climate change by the government – most of them in the built environment.”

She continued: “There are clearly huge changes and challenges ahead in the expected energy transition away from fossil fuels. This global deal now means that the whole world has signed to play its part in halting climate change.

“Global warming is a real problem, as an industry we have the skills, technology and the desire to make a difference. But the government should do more to back clean technology. It must provide a stable environment that enables investment in cleaner, more affordable and more secure energy generation, including renewable technologies.”

Ms Rudd went on to say that the UK is 'absolutely committed' to the Paris climate deal and will be 'making sure we deliver on it', but was forced to defend cuts to renewable subsidies by the government since May. She added that government had expanded offshore wind power and had become the first developed country to set an end date for the use of coal. Regarding energy subsidies, she said there was “no point in having renewables which are permanently expensive”.

The Paris agreement, which requires all countries to publish plans to deal with global warming, was hailed by international leaders as a turning point after 23 years of effort to make this century the last to be powered by fossil fuels. It was adopted by 196 nations.