Cop27 is a moment of truth for us all

IN an embarrassing U-turn, Rishi Sunak eventually decided to attend the Cop27 Climate summit.

It was shameful that our new Prime Minister was planning to shirk his duty to join US President Jo Biden and around 90 other world leaders at Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.

Sunak had been strongly criticised by some of his own MPs, as well as those on Opposition benches, for his poor decision, whilst Boris Johnson’s intention to attend the conference heaped further pressure on our increasingly beleaguered new Prime Minister.

Sunak’s failure of leadership will diminish our claim to be at the forefront of international and domestic action to tackle climate change. The most recent scientific evidence shows that progress to limit carbon omissions is “woefully inadequate” and that our planet’s warming has accelerated so rapidly that levels are perilously close to hitting 1.5C dgree global temperature.

This Cop27 is a moment of truth for the international community.

The UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, said: “In the last three decades we put off the choices we need to make” and now the many words and high ambitions must be transformed into meaningful action.

Our Prime Minister had a duty to play his full part in the summit and must return home committed to a Climate Change Action Plan marked URGENT. Anything less will be “woefully inadequate”.

Jill Natusch Devon