PM: ‘We must act on climate change’

Rishi Sunak has told a COP27 reception hosted by the King that the world will experience “more human suffering” if we continue to allow “climate change to ravage our planet”.

The Prime Minister is attending COP27, the UN climate conference, in Egypt next week after a U-turn, but Charles will miss the gathering of world leaders, business figures and environmentalists.

The King has long campaigned on environmental issues and last autumn he told the COP26 talks in Glasgow that the world has had enough of talking and commitments needed to be put into practice.

But the “soft power” diplomacy of the monarchy will be absent from the international gathering at Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

During Liz Truss’s brief premiership, a “unanimous agreement” was reached that the King should not attend COP27 after advice was sought by his office from the government.

Speaking at a reception in the Buckingham Palace ballroom yesterday, Mr Sunak said: “As recent events have shown, delivering on the promise of Glasgow is more important than ever.

“More important because as we have seen so starkly with the war in Ukraine, it is vital to invest in secure renewable sources of energy and sustainable food production.

“More important because every moment we allow climate change to ravage our planet we will see more human suffering like the devastating floods in Pakistan.

“And more important because if we do not act today, we will risk leaving an ever more desperate inheritance for our children.”

Among the guests at the palace from the worlds of finance, technology, transport and agribusiness were a number of government figures, including Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, Business Secretary Grant Shapps, International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch and COP26 President Alok Sharma.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was also in attendance, alongside Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, while foreign leaders included Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, and Saudi Arabia’s ambassador Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud.

Mr Sharma will be handing over the UK’s presidency to Egypt at the summit.

COP27: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warns of inaction.