KING Charles will lead a “call to arms” on green issues today as world leaders gather for a climate change summit, Rishi Sunak says.
The Prime Minister hailed the royal for being a leading voice on eco issues over the decades ahead of the monarch delivering a major speech.
ReutersKing Charles will lead a ‘call to arms’ on green issues as world leaders come together for COP28, Rishi Sunak says[/caption]
Talking of the King, the PM said: ‘I’m delighted that he’s going to be at COP. He’s giving a call to arms in the opening statement’Alamy
Mr Sunak was speaking to reporters on his way to the COP28 conference in Dubai when he praised the King.
He also said the presence of the royal, himself and Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron demonstrated the UK’s commitment to tackling climate change.
The PM said: “I’m delighted that he’s going to be at COP. He’s giving a call to arms in the opening statement.
“It speaks volumes about our type of leadership as a country that we’ve got our head of state there, delivering a call to arms in the opening statement which speaks volumes about the respect that he’s got on this issue around the world.
“We’ve got the head of Government there in me, and we’ve got our chief diplomat there in the Foreign Secretary.
“There are very few countries that will be able to say what I’ve just said.”
“So that speaks again to our leadership on this issue and particularly His Majesty‘s long-standing track record championing this issue.”
Rishi Sunak has come under fire for pushing back the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars back by five years to 2035.
He also watered down plans to strip out polluting gas and oil boilers. The requirement for energy efficiency upgrades in homes was scrapped.
The PM argued that hitting climate change targets – such as Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 – shouldn’t burden the public.
Number 10 says the UK’s “blueprint” for reaching targets must be done in a “realistic way” and hasn’t changed its approach of limiting warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
The PM also said that his practical approach would still mean having fossil fuels after the 2050 target as the UK invests in renewables.
He said: “Any sensible approach to this will seek to use the resources we have at home as part of a balanced transition when we’re also investing record sums in renewables.
“Renewables now accounts for almost half of our electricity generation and massive increase in offshore lending.
“The practical and sensible thing for the country is to make sure we use the resources at home as part of that sensible transition.”
The UK will commit £1.6 billion for international climate finance projects over the course of the summit.
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