As more than 83,000 Brits sign a petition calling for King Charles to U-turn on his cancelled COP27 appearance, new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has received criticism over his own choice not to attend.
Since the petition was launched the UK has seen a change of leadership, with Rishi Sunak taking over from Liz Truss. It was reported that consultations between Sunak’s predecessor and King Charles led to the Monarch backing out of his planned speech at the climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, 7-18 November.
Now, eyes are on Government as Sunak’s own decision not to attend the key summit faces criticism from opposition parties and environmental groups, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeting: “Britain showing up to work with world leaders is an opportunity to grasp. Not an event to shun.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Sunak’s absence ‘flies in the face of the UK’s proud tradition of leading the world in our response to the climate change’.
At the moment it’s right that I’m also focusing on the depressing domestic challenges we have with the econom
In defence of his position Sunak commented: “Look, I’m really proud … of our record on tackling climate change and particularly with regards to COP. I think everyone will remember that last year we hosted one of the most significant COPs in recent times, and that was important because what we did there was set the targets and the roadmap for the world to follow if we’re going to meet our climate ambitions.
“I think actually everyone should also be really proud of how we’re doing. We’re one of the countries that has decarbonized the fastest, we now get over half our energy from zero carbon sources, we passed a landmark law to protect the environment – and under my government we’re going to continue to deliver on all of those things. The leadership we have shown on climate is unmatched, almost, among the world. If you look what we’ve done in this country, we’re an example for others to follow – the pace in which we’ve reduced … emissions, how we’re going about protecting our environment, and those things are really important to me.
I would just urge Rishi Sunak to think about this again
“It’s important to me that, as Prime Minister, we leave behind an environment that is better for our children and grandchildren. I’m very passionate about that. I’m very personally committed to it and I just think at the moment it’s right that I’m also focusing on the depressing domestic challenges we have with the economy – I think that’s what people … would reasonably expect me to be doing as well,” Sunak told the BBC.
Speaking on BBC News, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas reacted to the PM’s decision: “The climate crisis is the existential crisis of our time. If we don’t address it properly then frankly all of the other domestic issues are going to be a hundred times harder to address. The climate crisis is about energy prices, [it] should be about a way of responding in terms of green jobs and investment into the renewable energies that will get our economy going again. I don’t think it helps to think of climate change as some kind of separate siloed issue … it underpins everything that we do now and that was made incredibly clear by the UN just yesterday. The signal that this gives out to the rest of the world, I think, is deeply, deeply serious and I would just urge Rishi Sunak to think about this again.”
