UK PM Rishi Sunak U-turns on attending COP27

Britain’s 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.

Sunak had argued that “pressing domestic commitments” would keep him away from COP27 in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh —after inheriting an economic crisis from predecessor Liz Truss.

But that fueled doubts about Sunak’s 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.

“There is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change. There is no energy without investing in renewables,” Sunak wrote on Twitter.

“That is why I will attend @ COP27P next week: to deliver o n Glasgow’s legacy of building a secure and sustainable future.”

The Scottish city was the venue for COP26 under the leadership of Truss’s predecessor Boris Johnson, who made climate change and ambitions to make Britain “net zero” in emissions a

signature policy.

Truss cast serious doubt on that commitment with her avowed skepticism about net-zero — and blocked King Charles III from attending COP27.

“The Prime Minister has been shamed into going

to COP27 by the torrent of disbelief that he would fail to turn up,” Miliband, Labour’s climate spokesman, tweeted.

“He is going to avoid embarrassment not to provide leadership.”

The Green Party’s only MP in the UK Parliament, Caroline Lucas, welcomed Sunak’s announcement.

“But what an embarrassing mis-step on the world stage,” she tweeted. “Let this be a lesson to him — climate leadership matters.

“Now he urgently needs to increase UK ambition on emission reduction targets and pay what we owe to global climate funds.”

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.