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Criticism was directed towards Rishi Sunak for his perceived lack of action and avoidance of the climate crisis. He faced backlash for spending more time traveling to Cop28 than actually participating in the summit.
The PM defended watering down his net zero policies, insisting the UK is still “leading the charge” in tackling climate change during his brief stint in Dubai.
Mr Sunak told the crucial global conference that “climate politics is close to breaking point” – but also claimed he would only cut emissions in a way that “benefits the British people”.
The leader of the Conservative party faced tough questioning about his commitment to Cop28, as he will be spending 14 hours traveling on his private jet to and from the UAE instead of actively participating in negotiations at the summit.
The Prime Minister, who spent a mere 11 hours in Dubai, responded to the notion being “hugely simplistic”. They stated, “I do not believe our impact should be judged by the amount of time spent, but rather by the tangible actions we are taking to effect change.”
The line appeared as:
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According to Rishi Sunak, it is reasonable to be concerned about the use of taxpayers’ money while striving to meet climate goals.
- The Prime Minister was criticized for using a deceptive accounting tactic regarding a promise of £1.6 billion.
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Keir Starmer stated that he received an overwhelming number of meeting requests for Cop28 that he could not manage.
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The monarch cautioned global leaders that they were significantly deviating from addressing the issue of climate change.
Prior to departing on Friday, Mr. Sunak expressed that the UK government is still capable of “maintaining its integrity” at Cop28 and continues to be a “pioneer” in addressing climate change, despite his decision to scale back net zero goals domestically.
The Prime Minister has reduced several net zero goals and promised to fully utilize UK oil and gas resources by issuing new drilling permits in the North Sea.
Mr. Sunak reassured that he would not be controlled by extreme ideologies, and stated that no global leaders have expressed disapproval for his decision to push back the ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.
“None of the leaders I have encountered today have addressed this topic. Do you know why? The majority of their objectives are not as ambitious as those of the UK.”
Rishi Sunak addresses the King during the Cop28 event in Dubai.
Labour criticized Mr. Sunak’s address at Cop28 as “complacent,” with opposition energy secretary Ed Miliband accusing him of being in denial about both the energy bill crisis within the country and the diminishing reputation of the United Kingdom internationally.
Mr Sunak came in for criticism for only spending a brief spell at Cop28 – contrasting with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer being in Dubai for three days, and the King spending two days at the summit.
Adrian Ramsay, co-leader of the Green Party, commented that Mr. Sunak appears to prioritize spending time on private jets rather than tackling the climate crisis.
Rebecca Newsom, the political leader of Greenpeace UK, expressed her disappointment with Mr. Sunak’s behavior at the Dubai event. She compared him to a one-hit wonder, praising the UK’s previous efforts as a climate leader but lacking any new ideas or plans.
Sir Keir is conducting a series of gatherings at the UAE event in an effort to establish himself as a potential Prime Minister, emphasizing that the UK would be receptive to significant environmentally-friendly investments should he come into power.
Mr. Sunak criticized Sir Keir for simply trying to catch up. The Conservative leader revealed at Cop28 that a deal had been made between Masdar and RWE to potentially invest £11 billion in a wind farm at Dogger Bank.
However, Sir Keir criticized Mr Sunak for not fully committing to the fight against climate change and viewing it as a burden, and condemned the narrowness of his political approach.
The leader of the Labour party remarked that he observed the lines the person was saying about “eco zealots” while boarding the plane to come here. He believes this is not something to avoid or give up on.
Sir Keir stated that he received numerous requests for meetings with global leaders and officials for Cop28, and that there were more than they could manage. He also promised that Labour would actively participate in international affairs if they were to be elected into power.
Rishi Sunak addressing the press during the climate change conference.
The amount of £1.6bn was revealed by Mr Sunak for global climate funding, specifically for aiding initiatives to stop deforestation and speed up the shift towards renewable energy.
However, according to ActionAid UK, the promise of £1.6bn made by Mr Sunak is only a deceptive accounting tactic and consists of promises from previous years.
According to Zahra Hdidou, a senior climate adviser for the charity, the amount of money pledged is not a new or additional contribution. The activist stated that the Prime Minister is failing to take significant action on climate change.
Zac Goldsmith, who resigned as an environment minister, accused Mr Sunak of being disinterested in the matter. He told Sky News that the UK’s reputation as a dependable and committed partner on climate change has been eroded.
Chris Skidmore, a prominent member of the Conservative party, who previously held the position of government net zero tsar, stated that the nation cannot afford to delay in decarbonizing its industries by relying on future technologies.
During Cop28 on Friday, Keir Starmer mentioned that he received numerous requests for meetings.
The King has issued a warning in his opening speech at Cop28, stating that the world is still significantly off course in meeting crucial climate goals. The addition of a new row further emphasizes this point.
The king cautioned about the alarming consequences of rising temperatures, and expressed hope for decisive action from world leaders.
On Friday, global leaders reached a consensus on a new declaration with the goal of overhauling the world’s food system. This came after a commitment of £330 million towards a fund to support countries most impacted by climate change.
Sultan al-Jaber, who serves as the president of COP28 and is also the chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has been accused of attempting to make oil and gas deals during the conference. However, he has denied these accusations.
Sunak refuted the claims that they weaken the UAE’s role in heading the discussions. In addition, President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the UAE declared a £23.7bn fund for addressing worldwide climate issues.
Source: independent.co.uk
