UK PM Sunak is now going to COP27 climate summit – Saudi Gazette

UK PM Sunak is now going to COP27 climate summit – Saudi Gazette

LONDON — The prime minister has reversed an earlier decision not to go to the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.

No. 10 had said Rishi Sunak was too busy preparing for the Nov. 17 budget to attend the event which opens on Sunday.

But this had been widely criticized by climate campaigners, opposition parties and climate adviser Alok Sharma.

Sunak said there was “no long-term prosperity without action on climate change” or energy security without investment in renewables.

“That’s why I will attend COP27 next week — to deliver on Glasgow’s legacy of building a secure, clean and sustainable future,” he told MPs during Prime Minister’s Questions.

On Tuesday, former prime minister Boris Johnson said he would attend COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh.

The UK hosted last year’s COP (Conference Of The Parties) in Glasgow and it was chaired by Sharma.

Green MP Caroline Lucas welcomed what she called a “screeching U-turn” after “an embarrassing misstep on the world stage”.

“Let this be a lesson to him — climate leadership matters,” she added.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the prime minister of acting “in the name of political management” rather than the national interest.

“Caving in to criticism is not leadership. Real leadership is seizing your seat at the