I'M PROUD that Parliament last week ratified the historic Paris Agreement on climate change - a landmark global treaty that commits the world to a net-zero carbon future, and builds on the world-leading Climate Change Act passed by the last Labour government.

International co-operation on climate change is vital to protect communities from extreme weather. This year is likely to be the warmest year on record globally, according to data from the World Meteorological Organisation.

Just this week we've seen very heavy rain in south Wales, with flooding, damage to property, and major disruption to road and rail. Last month I sat through Hurricane Matthew while on a family holiday in Florida; the contrast between our relative safety and that of the people of Haiti, who have been hit by disaster after disaster, couldn't have been more stark – and reinforced how we as richer nations have a moral duty to protect the world’s most vulnerable.

In light of the US election result, it's more important than ever that we celebrate our commitment to international co-operation on climate change.

President-elect Donald Trump has previously called climate change a “hoax”, pledged to cut federal programmes and spending to reduce emissions, and has threatened to “cancel” the Paris Agreement.

As it has entered into legal force, there is a four-year process for any country to leave the pact, but he could take the drastic step of withdrawing the US from the entire UN Convention on climate change within a year.

His rhetoric and the appointment of climate change deniers to his team has sent a damaging signal internationally, and his election risks undermining confidence in the world’s ability to avoid catastrophic climate change.

It’s important we manage this by emphasising our continued commitment to climate action, following the lead of China, the EU and Brazil.

Labour pressure pushed the Government to commit to ratifying the Paris deal this year, two years earlier than they originally planned.

Now we have ratified, the Tories must keep their promises.

Climate action is central to responsible foreign policy, and they must make this clear to the new US administration.

In particular they must not persist with their proposed cut of the post of foreign secretary's Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Following their abolition of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, we cannot be seen to be further downgrading British efforts to combat global warming, to lead the way at international talks, and to support green energy.