Get climate action done too, sacked summit chief urges prime minister

The recently sacked president of a major UN climate summit set to be hosted by the UK this year has accused Boris Johnson of a lack of leadership and “apparent dark ops” over her dismissal.

Former UK climate and energy minister Claire O’Neill was fired last week as the president of the COP26 summit, which will be held in Glasgow in November.

In a letter to the prime minister, published by the Financial Times, Ms O’Neill said she was “surprised and dismayed” to be told she was sacked in a phone call from Mr Johnson’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings.

In the more than 1,900-word letter, Ms O’Neill wrote: “You promised to ‘lead from the front’ and asked me what was needed: ‘Money, people, just tell us!’ Sadly, these promises and offers are not close to being met.

“The Cabinet sub-committee on climate that you promised to chair, and which I was to attend, has not met once.”

She also wrote: “You had a vision for Brexit and you got Brexit done. As I write, we have less than 7,000 hours before the start of COP26, where we have a chance to set a new global vision for climate recovery and build a new consensus for global climate action. Please get this done too.”

The former minister said she was given three different explanations for the decision to fire her, “none of which could be clearly articulated or supported with evidence, apart from needing someone more senior”.

“You did, of course, know my seniority and experience when you offered me the job,” she told the PM.

Ms O’Neill is expected to be replaced by a serving minister.

The November summit in Glasgow is seen as the most crucial round of UN climate negotiations since the Paris Agreement was created in 2015.

You did, of course, know my seniority and experience when you offered me the job.

CLAIRE O’NEILL, WRITING TO PM AFTER SACKING