The international energy challenge is to maintain access to secure and affordable energy supplies while mitigating the effects of climate change.

The United Kingdom is set to become a net importer of oil and gas in the current decade, and will be reliant on supplies from around the world. Failure in the UK's energy supplies would be felt almost immediately. A serious disruption could rapidly have serious effects on the economy, public services and security of the country.

Climate change is a serious global threat to the environment and to the global economy. The costs if we do nothing could be enormous. Swiss Re, the world's second largest insurer, has estimated that the economic costs of global warming could double to USD 150 billion each year over the next 10 years. Climate change is a global problem and requires a global solution to mitigate its eventual extent, by reducing our emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

To take forward the work for this priority FCO policy goal the Climate Change & Energy Group has been created.

The FCO works closely with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Number 10 Downing Street, the office of the British Prime Minister, and other government departments including the Department for International Development and Her Majesty's Treasury.