{"id":1241977,"date":"2022-11-02T14:46:56","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T14:46:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/02\/watch-uks-rishi-sunak-to-attend-cop27-in-egypt\/"},"modified":"2022-11-02T14:46:56","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T14:46:56","slug":"watch-uks-rishi-sunak-to-attend-cop27-in-egypt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/02\/watch-uks-rishi-sunak-to-attend-cop27-in-egypt\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH: UK’s Rishi Sunak to attend COP27 in Egypt"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

By Phil Hazlewood<\/p>\n

London, United Kingdom \u2013 Britain\u2019s new prime minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced he will join the UN climate conference in Egypt after all, having provoked anger for refusing to attend the global event early into his tenure.<\/p>\n

Sunak had argued that \u201cpressing domestic commitments\u201d would keep him away from COP27 in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh \u2013 after inheriting an economic crisis from predecessor Liz Truss.<\/p>\n

But that fuelled doubts about Sunak\u2019s interest in the planetary emergency, and critics said the inexperienced leader was passing up an opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of US President Joe Biden and European peers.<\/p>\n

!function(e,t,r){let n;if(e.getElementById(r))return;const a=e.getElementsByTagName(\u201cscript\u201d)[0];n=e.createElement(\u201cscript\u201d),n.id=r,n.defer=!0,n.src=\u201dhttps:\/\/playback.oovvuu.media\/player\/v1.js\u201d,a.parentNode.insertBefore(n,a)}(document,0,\u201doovvuu-player-sdk\u201d);<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThere is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change. There is no energy without investing in renewables,\u201d Sunak wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why I will attend @COP27P next week: to deliver on Glasgow\u2019s legacy of building a secure and sustainable future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change.<\/p>\n

There is no energy security without investing in renewables.<\/p>\n

That is why I will attend @COP27P<\/a> next week: to deliver on Glasgow’s legacy of building a secure and sustainable future.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) November 2, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Scottish city was the venue for COP26 under the leadership of Truss\u2019s predecessor Boris Johnson, who made climate change and ambitions to make Britain \u201cnet zero\u201d in emissions a signature policy.<\/p>\n

Truss cast serious doubt on that commitment with her avowed scepticism about net zero \u2013 and blocked King Charles III from attending COP27.<\/p>\n

The new monarch is a lifelong campaigner for the environment, and Sunak\u2019s change of heart could revive debate about whether Britain should allow him to press the climate case in Egypt.<\/p>\n

The monarch is due to hold a pre-COP reception at Buckingham Palace on Friday for business leaders, campaigners and politicians, including US climate change envoy John Kerry.<\/p>\n

!function(e,t,r){let n;if(e.getElementById(r))return;const a=e.getElementsByTagName(\u201cscript\u201d)[0];n=e.createElement(\u201cscript\u201d),n.id=r,n.defer=!0,n.src=\u201dhttps:\/\/playback.oovvuu.media\/player\/v1.js\u201d,a.parentNode.insertBefore(n,a)}(document,0,\u201doovvuu-player-sdk\u201d);<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

But Buckingham Palace said there was \u201cunanimous agreement\u201d with Downing Street that Charles should not go to Egypt.<\/p>\n

\u2018Phoney\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sunak\u2019s about-face came after Johnson, in a Sky interview broadcast on Tuesday, confirmed he was heading to COP27 at Egypt\u2019s invitation, potentially upstaging Sunak.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the UK wants to be seen as a global leader, it needs to lead. It is only right that the prime minister attends the upcoming COP27,\u201d Oxfam GB climate lead Tracy Carty said after Sunak\u2019s U-turn.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is critical that the UK steps up, not only for the benefit of countries bearing the brunt of climate change, but also for its own credibility on the global stage,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

During his tenure, Johnson championed renewable energy as the key to a greener UK economy and its quest for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.<\/p>\n

But on taking office, Sunak demoted COP26 president Alok Sharma from his cabinet.<\/p>\n

Graphic: Graphic <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sharma said he was \u201cdelighted\u201d at Sunak\u2019s change of mind, but Ed Miliband of the opposition Labour party accused the new leader of being a \u201cphoney\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Prime Minister has been shamed into going to COP27 by the torrent of disbelief that he would fail to turn up,\u201d Miliband, Labour\u2019s climate spokesman, tweeted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is going to avoid embarrassment not to provide leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Green Party\u2019s only MP in the UK parliament, Caroline Lucas, welcomed Sunak\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what an embarrassing mis-step on the world stage,\u201d she tweeted. \u201cLet this be a lesson to him \u2013 climate leadership matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow he urgently needs to increase UK ambition on emission reduction targets & pay what we owe to global climate funds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Britain drew criticism this week after it emerged that it has failed to make some $300 million in promised payments to international climate finance bodies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n