World News: Sunak won’t attend climate summit to focus on home – Gulf Digital News

World News: Sunak won’t attend climate summit to focus on home – Gulf Digital News

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not attend the COP27 climate summit which begins in Egypt next month, his office said yesterday, with other senior ministers going instead to allow him to focus on domestic issues and a major fiscal statement.

Sunak became prime minister on Monday, and has delayed an autumn fiscal statement to November 17 as he looks to tackle a cost-of-living crisis and restore international economic credibility damaged in the short tenure of his predecessor Liz Truss.

Truss had been expected to attend, but yesterday Sunak’s Downing Street office said the new prime minister was not planning to go to the summit.

“The Prime Minister is not expected to attend the summit in Egypt due to other pressing domestic commitments, including preparations for the autumn statement,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said that Britain remained “absolutely committed to supporting COP27 and leading international action to tackle climate change and protect nature,” having hosted the COP26 summit in Glasgow last year.

Just under a year ago Britain trumpeted the agreement of the Glasgow Climate Pact, finalised in dramatic circumstances after month of arduous negotiations that ran until the final minutes. The deal was meant to ensure the world still