LONDON: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could attend the COP27 climate conference in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh if important domestic policy decisions are resolved, The Times reported.
It follows controversy after former UK PM Boris Johnson suggested that he would take part in the event — which runs from Nov. 6 to 18 — instead of the newly appointed leader, who earlier faced backlash after saying that he would not attend.
Sunak is reportedly focused on the autumn statement set for Nov. 17 that outlines the government’s economic plans based on the latest forecasts.
However, he could visit the conference in Egypt if domestic policy issues are resolved in time, alongside leaders including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, who are both expected to attend.
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Business Secretary Grant Shapps are also expected to take part in the Egyptian conference.
UK government climate chief Alok Sharma, who presided over last year’s COP26, criticized Sunak’s earlier decision to avoid the conference, warning that the Conservative Party could face further electoral challenges if it abandoned its promises to tackle climate change.
A UK government source told The Times: “Boris is a former prime minister and Rishi is supportive of anyone who wants to make the case for tackling climate change.”
UK Environment Minister Mark Spencer told Sky News: “I think the prime minister has a huge inbox. He’s come into office; he’s got an inbox which is full to the brim. Clearly, he wants to concentrate on the financial statement and that’s what he’s doing.
“But if he’s able to get through … all of that, you know, COP27 is very important. It’s very important to the government, it’s important to our future, so we’ll send out senior ministers, but that’s yet to be decided who’s going to go.
“Only he (Sunak) will know what he’s got in his inbox and in his diary, if he has the time, but he’ll make that call and I’m sure it’ll be the right one.”
British King Charles III, a long-time supporter of environmental causes, will host a reception on Friday that will draw more than 200 policymakers, environmental figures, and nongovernmental organizations from around the world, marking the handover of the UK’s COP presidency to Egypt.
The UN warned ahead of COP27 that based on current estimates, the world will face 2.8 degrees Celsius of warming by 2100.
A report authored by the organization last week slammed current environmental policies as inadequate, stressing that previous 1.5 degrees Celsius limit targets could not be met without significant changes around the world.
