The Speaker of the House of Keys, Juan Watterson, took part in the GLOBE COP26 Legislators’ Summit in Edinburgh, as vice chairman of the Small Branches Network of the Commonwealth Parliament Association.

The summit is part of the broader COP26 agenda and has convened legislators from around the world to discuss climate change and parliamentary action.

The aim of the summit was for parliamentarians to both share and gain experience on climate change in respect to their own jurisdictions and parliament.

The summit ’aimed to give members of parliament the tools to ensure the promises being made by leaders are followed and scrutinized through governance, transparency and assuring implementation of promises on protecting biodiversity and achieving the targets which will make truly effective change, including net zero emissions’.

The opening address was given by GLOBE president and founder, Al Gore, the former vice president of the United States.

Mr Watterson addressed the plenary, raising the issue of how small branches, especially developing island nations face special challenges when it comes to climate change, decarbonising energy and protecting biodiversity.

He also spoke with the Speaker of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed who famously when president held a cabinet meeting underwater to demonstrate the impact of climate change in the Maldives.

He also took the opportunity to meet Scottish presiding officer, Alison Johnstone and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Councillor Frank Ross to build on the links between Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Speaking after the conference, Mr Watterson said: ’Legislators have a duty to be informed and educated on key issues, to act as a conduit from constituents through to the international community, gathering information and ideas.

’At national level, we are responsible for passing legislation and ensuring it is kept updated. We also have a key role in ensuring government’s commitments are delivered through transparent systems and effective scrutiny.’

After the conference he will be reporting back to Tynwald Members and the Executive Committee of the Small Branches Network of the CPA and contributing to an article in The Parliamentarian, the journal of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association which goes to all Parliamentarians in each of the 180+ branches of the CPA.

Mr Watterson’s trip was not on behalf of the Manx government and no expenses will be met by the Manx taxpayer as a result.