Share this on social media
UK risks ending Cop26 presidency in disarray over Truss climate policy
(The Guardian, 14 Oct 2022) Observers say cabinet rows and PM’s comments so far could undermine global consensus forged at Glasgow.
The UK is in danger of ending its presidency of the UN climate talks next month in disunity and disarray, amid cabinet rifts on green policy, and confusion over who will attend the Cop27 summit.
Rows over climate policy threaten to hamper the UK’s ability to hold together the fragile coalition of developed and developing countries it built at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow last year. Failure to do so will not only cast a pall over the UK’s achievements there, but will add further tensions to already troubled global climate talks.
Liz Truss has still not said whether she will attend Cop27, which begins in just under a month, but the business secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, will go – to the dismay of green groups because he supports fracking, expanding oil and gas production, and has cast doubt on climate science.
The prime minister is also reported to have effectively prevented King Charles from attending the summit, despite his presence at previous Cops. Even worse from campaigners’ point of view, in her speech to the Conservative party conference on Wednesday Truss described environment groups as part of an “anti-growth coalition” she vowed to vanquish.
External link
The Guardian, 14 Oct 2022: UK risks ending Cop26 presidency in disarray over Truss climate policy
