(LONDON) Britain’s new prime minister Rishi Sunak, whose country hosted the last UN climate conference last year, came under fire on Thursday after Downing Street announced he would not be visiting. at COP27 in Egypt.
Posted at 12:56 p.m.
A spokeswoman for the Conservative leader explained Thursday his absence by “pressing commitments” including the preparation of the presentation of the budget on November 17, eagerly awaited after several weeks of financial storms in the United Kingdom.
He will be represented by other ministers, including British climate envoy Alok Sharma, who was the president of COP26 last year in Glasgow, she said.
On the other hand, Rishi Sunak intends to attend the G20 summit on November 15 and 16 in Indonesia, where the French presidents Emmanuel Macron, American Joe Biden and Russian Vladimir Poutine are expected in particular.
Its spokesperson assured that the United Kingdom continued to support the conference and to commit to carbon neutrality.
But Ed Miliband, in charge of climate change within the Labor opposition, denounced “a huge failure of leadership”.
“What Rishi Sunak clearly does not understand is that tackling the climate crisis is not just about our reputation and position abroad, but also about the opportunities for lower bills, jobs and energy security that ‘she can deliver to us,” he said.
“What a shameful way to end the British presidency of the COP,” reacted Caroline Lucas, Green MP.
Entering Downing Street on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak did not reveal his intentions in terms of environmental policy, while his predecessor Liz Truss had aroused concern by saying she wanted to review the trajectory leading to the objective of carbon neutrality to make it more business friendly.
She had announced several measures criticized by environmentalists.
Rishi Sunak reassured the latter by announcing to restore the moratorium on the production of gas and shale oil that Liz Truss had lifted last month. But he worried by deciding that Alok Sharma would no longer have a place in the Council of Ministers.
For the NGO Greenpeace, the absence of Rishi Sunak at COP27 and the dismissal of Alok Sharma from the cabinet “suggests that the new prime minister is not taking the climate crisis seriously”.
King Charles III, known for his long-standing commitment to environmental protection, will also not be visiting Egypt for COP27. According to the Sunday Times, he intended to speak, but Liz Truss opposed it.