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Hands bluetooth auto2/11/2024 ![]() “While the head of the UN implores countries to urgently phase out fossil fuels, the UK is one of just a handful of wealthy nations that is continuing to greenlight major new oilfields,” she said. Tessa Khan, the executive director at Uplift, an organisation campaigning for a fossil fuel-free UK, said the prime minister had “completely misread the room”. “Compared with the hundreds of billions needed to support the poorest countries, the £1.6bn announced today barely touches the sides, and it’s clear that only around half of it is new money.” “He masquerades like a headliner while reprising a sorry medley of net-zero policy rollbacks while keeping silent on the biggest issue that will make a difference to cutting emissions at this conference: a global phase-out of fossil fuels,” she said. Rebecca Newsom of Greenpeace UK said it was “an old hit we’ve heard one too many times”. The UK is just not seen by our allies – big and also small island members of the Commonwealth – as a reliable or serious partner.”Ĭharities and environmental campaigners were unimpressed by Sunak’s claims to be leading the world on the climate. The former environment minister Zac Goldsmith, who resigned while accusing Sunak of being “uninterested” in green issues, was more critical, telling Sky News: “There’s no doubt our standing has diminished considerably in recent months. This is not something to shrink from, not something to retreat from.” We saw it with some of the lines that he was putting out about ‘eco-zealots’ as he got on the plane to come here. “We saw it with the Greek prime minister. “For the prime minister to reduce this down in the way that he does, the smallness of his politics is becoming a feature of his politics,” he said. Starmer accused Sunak of “shrinking and retreating” from leadership on the global stage at Cop28. He said it “demonstrates just how distorted this debate has become”, adding: “I shift a date to be in line with basically every other country, and it’s somehow portrayed as some extreme measure.” He said the 2035 date for phasing out petrol and diesel cars was in line with other developed countries. Do you know why? Because most of their targets are less ambitious than the UK’s.” Referring to his delayed ban on petrol and diesel vehicles, he said: “Hand on heart, 100%, not a single leader that I have spoken to today has spoken about that. His speech to world leaders stressed that the UK was “totally committed to net zero”, but in a press conference he focused on urging other countries to be more ambitious, while saying the UK was “doing more than everyone else”. ![]() He claimed that the cost of the transition to net zero put public support for tackling the climate crisis at risk, and argued that what he called his pragmatism over the issue was not extreme or out of step with other countries. Sunak speaking to the media during a press conference at the Cop28 summit on Friday. Sunak stayed just eight hours in Dubai and appeared irritated by questions about his commitment to climate goals, despite having watered down the UK’s targets, changed the definition of climate aid in order to meet his target of spending £11.6bn over five years, and committed to new oil and gas development in the North Sea. No 10 declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the palace, but Greek media interpreted the king’s move as tacit backing for Athens’ position. In a further embarrassment for Sunak, the monarch also wore a tie bearing the Greek flag throughout the day and for their meeting, at the end of a week in which the prime minister cancelled a meeting with his Greek counterpart over his request for the return of the Parthenon marbles. We need to pause to process what this actually means: we are taking the natural world outside balanced norms and limits, and into dangerous, uncharted territory.” Noting that this was the hottest year on record, the king spoke of his worry that the pace of action was not quick enough, and told the summit: “Records are now being broken so often that we are perhaps becoming immune to what they are really telling us. The prime minister’s messaging also stood in stark contrast to that of Charles, who gave the keynote speech. ![]() ![]() 'The Earth does not belong to us': King Charles addresses Cop28 climate summit – video
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