Egypt has urged new prime minister Rishi Sunak to not ditch the UK’s local weather management position simply weeks earlier than it takes over as host of the UN COP local weather talks.
As the Egyptians put together to host COP27 in November, their lead negotiator informed reporters that the UK “[showed] leadership in Glasgow,” the place it held the COP26 local weather summit this time final 12 months.
“We know that there are challenges, economic challenges that are there, facing the UK and other countries, but we hope that those challenges does not lead to backsliding on the pledges,” ambassador Mohamed Nasr stated in response to a query from Sky News.
He additionally stated Egypt “still [hopes]” King Charles will attend this 12 months’s negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh. The monarch, a longstanding environmentalist, earlier this month pulled out of attending the talks, reportedly following session with the-then prime minister Liz Truss.
The invitation is “still there, it’s an open invitation,” the diplomat stated.
“He has been a very strong advocate for climate action. He has been a role model for… putting not only his political weight behind the climate change discussion, but also that he has been influencing and giving the right image for how royalty can push for the climate agenda.
“So we hope that he can be there, and we nonetheless hope that he could make it and are available and are available to Sharm El-Sheikh.”
The diplomat dodged questions on whether or not US President Joe Biden or China’s President Xi Jinping would attend, however stated he hoped they’d, since “their cooperation, and their role has always been instrumental in allowing for progress on climate change”.
Ambassador Nasr stated the UK was one of many “leading countries” in pledging abroad help to assist creating nations reply to local weather change.
“And we hope that this leadership role continues,” he stated, hoping for brand spanking new money to pay for adaptation measures in these nations, which could possibly be initiatives like relocating coastal communities or early warning methods for pure hazards.
Climate finance pledges ‘minimal’ in comparison with COVID
He stated local weather finance pledges are “minimal” in comparison with what was mobilised for the COVID-19 pandemic or “other causes”.
Last 12 months the UK pledged £11.6bn in local weather finance over a five-year interval. Spending on the pandemic response is estimated to value not less than £310bn.
Mr Nasr stated the problem is much less find the cash however within the “political will and the commitment” to ship cash pledged.
Aid organisations and several other MPs are involved that the help price range is being squeezed because the UK siphons off a few of it to fund the housing of Ukrainian refugees, versus allocating further funding for the resettlement scheme.
Sarah Champion MP, chair of a committee of MPs that scrutinises help spending, final week raised issues that the UK may once more reduce its help price range to 0.3% of GNI (gross nationwide earnings) – having already reduce it from 0.7% to 0.5% final 12 months – because the PM seeks to fill a £40bn gap within the nation’s funds.
Sharma loses cupboard place
Meanwhile, Alok Sharma MP, held on to his COP presidency position within the cupboard reshuffle however misplaced his cupboard place, a downgrade in seniority simply earlier than COP27.
Appearing earlier than a lot of parliamentary committees on Tuesday, Mr Sharma stated the federal government ought to “explain and demonstrate” how new oil and fuel exploration is according to its local weather commitments.
The MPs grilled him on the quite a few current contentious insurance policies, together with lifting the ban on fracking and issuing 100 new licences for offshore oil and fuel. He stated he didn’t help fracking.
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