The UK's Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Ed Miliband, met with Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares Bueno, in Madrid on July 29.
The ministers agreed that recent wildfires and heatwaves across Europe demonstrate that climate change is now a national security emergency, threatening the European way of life. They stated that tackling the climate crisis is an urgent policy priority for all countries to address the cost of living, protect health, and ensure European economic and energy security.
Both parties committed to co-leading the green transition, strengthening cooperation on clean energy, and advancing international climate action. They also reaffirmed support for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, emphasising the need to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C.