Today the Environmental Audit Committee took evidence on mapping the path to net zero.

At this session, I asked the Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero about the desertification of vast swathes of France, Italy and Spain.

As similar summers are anticipated to take place here in the UK, I wanted to know what the government is planning to deal with these rising temperatures, and the significant power consumption that will come with the estimate that 10 new air conditioner units will be sold every second between now and 2050.

The Minister recognised the demand for cooling will place a strain on our energy supply and pointed to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA) national adaptation plan, stating that his department must ensure the UK’s adaptation approaches are correct.

Watch the full session of the Environmental Audit Committee here, my questioning begins at 15:06:45.