Rishi Sunak promotes global renewable energy progress

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06th Nov, 2022. 10:22 pm
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Rishi Sunak promotes global renewable energy progress

Rishi Sunak will call on world leaders to advance the switch to renewable energy “further and faster”.
He will tell COP27 not to “backslide” on commitments made at last year’s COP26 summit.
The issue of migrants travelling across the English Channel in small boats is likely to come up.

At COP27, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will call on international leaders to advance the switch to renewable energy “further and faster.”

Mr. Sunak reversed his earlier decision not to attend and will now go to Egypt for the UN climate meeting on Sunday.

He will remark in his speech on Monday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “confirmed” the need to get off fossil fuels.

COP27 comes after a year of extreme weather and climate-related events.

The prime minister will also tell leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh not to “backslide” on commitments made at last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow intended to prevent global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

The issue of migrants travelling across the English Channel in small boats is likely to come up when Mr. Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron meet at the summit this week.

In a statement before his departure, Mr Sunak said: “When the world came together in Glasgow last year, nations agreed an historic roadmap for preventing catastrophic global warming. It is more important than ever that we deliver on those pledges.

“Fighting climate change is not just a moral good – it is fundamental to our future prosperity and security.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and contemptible manipulation of energy prices has only reinforced the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels.

“We need to move further and faster to transition to renewable energy, and I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this global movement as a clean energy superpower.”

The prime minister had earlier this week changed his mind about going to the conference.

Prior to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement on November 17, Mr. Sunak had first said he would not go to Egypt, citing the need to close a £50 billion budget gap as his top priority.

Labour’s Ed Miliband said the prime minister “dithered” about attending the climate summit, adding that: “Britain needs to be in the climate leadership business.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the shadow climate change secretary said it was now “cheaper to save the planet than to destroy it”.

“We’re in the midst of an energy crisis,” he said, adding that renewable energy sources were now much cheaper than fossil fuels.

Mr Miliband insisted that switching to renewables was “the opportunity of the future” and that this was the “message we should be taking to COP”.

Mr Sunak’s initial decision not to attend the summit was widely criticised by climate campaigners, opposition parties and COP26 President and colleague Alok Sharma.

Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden has defended the prime minister, saying he was “committed” to environmental issues.

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Mr Dowden told Laura Kuenssberg that, when Mr Sunak came to power, his first priority was the economic crisis but that he had worked on the Autumn Statement “to make sure he can go to this summit”.

Mr Dowden was also questioned about host country Egypt’s human rights record, including its detention of British Egyptian national Alaa Abd El-Fattah, an activist who has been in jail for nine years and is on a hunger strike.

Asked if the prime minister would raise Abdel Fattah’s case while at the summit, the cabinet minister said: “I’m sure he will raise it at appropriate forums”.

Labour’s Mr Miliband said it was a “very serous issue” and that he would “make sure to raise it with the Egyptians while I’m there”.

The prime minister has sent a letter to Abdel Fattah’s family pledging that the activist’s case is “a priority for the British government both as a human rights defender and as a British national”.

However, speaking on News channel, Abdel Fattah’s sister Sanaa Seif said she was concerned No 10’s engagement with the Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi would come too late.

Speaking of her worry that her brother could die while the climate summit was happening, she urged the British government to be “responsible for getting us proof of life”.

The International Energy Agency has stated that there can be no more new fossil fuel development if the 1.5C target is to be fulfilled, yet the government has come under fire for allowing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.

Mr. Sunak is anticipated to preside over a gathering of international leaders to advance the Glasgow Declaration, which was signed by 100 nations, to halt and reverse deforestation and destructive land use by 2030.

Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, expressed doubt about the outcome of this week’s climate summit.

“I don’t think there’s been the leadership either from our country or frankly from other countries,” he told Laura Kuenssberg.

The King, who spoke at COP26 last year and is well known for his fervent interest in environmental problems, will not be present at the meeting as a result of an agreement between Buckingham Palace and outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Downing Street claimed this week that if Mr. Sunak had been placed in No. 10 sooner, they could have reached a different conclusion.

The most recent session of UN climate talks is taking place against a backdrop of increasingly severe global weather events, an energy crisis, and a rising cost of living due to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The COP27 agenda will place a focus on requests for emission reduction, assistance for nations dealing with climate change, and financing and technical assistance for developing nations.

The UN has also cautioned that there is presently no realistic road to achieve the 1.5C goal designed to avoid the worst effects of global warming, based on countries’ most recent climate action plans.

According to the UN, wealthy nations are still not doing enough to finance the adaptation of underdeveloped countries to climate change.

This year’s floods in Pakistan made millions of people homeless, while Europe experienced its warmest summer on record.