Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended his decision not to attend the upcoming COP27 climate conference by saying he will be “focusing on the depressing domestic challenges we have with the economy” instead.

Speaking on a visit to Croydon University hospital on Friday, Mr Sunak denied it was a “failure in leadership”, as claimed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

“No. The leadership that we have shown on the climate is unmatched almost along the world,” he said.

He added he is “very passionate” and “personally committed” to leaving behind a better environment for our children and grandchildren.

But he added: “I just think, at the moment, it’s right that I’m also focusing on the depressing domestic challenges we have with the economy. I think that’s what people watching would reasonably expect me to be doing as well.”

Earlier in the day, Environment Secretary Therese Coffey told Sky News it was because the “big” political summits on climate change only take place every five years.

Ms Coffey said “the big push happened last year in Glasgow” at COP26 and she was not aware of US President Joe Biden or French President Emmanuel Macron attending this year’s climate conference in Egypt.

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Last year the UK hosted the COP26 summit in Glasgow and former prime minister Boris Johnson stressed the need to act and said it was a “one minute to midnight moment”.

The Washington Post has reported that Mr Biden will travel to COP27 in a boost for the gathering and its chances of securing action over the climate crisis.

Ms Coffey suggested it was standard practice for heads of state not to go to the conferences.

She told Sky News “other senior ministers, including myself, will be going to Egypt”, adding: “Normally the big COPs tend to be every five years.”

She added: “The United Kingdom hosted that last year where we had attendance from many members of the Royal Family. But in between, it tends to be more of, I’m not going to say low key, but not quite the same level of heads of state and prime ministers attending.”

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Downing Street reiterates position on Charles not going

The Queen was due to visit COP26 in Glasgow last November but had to pull out due to mobility issues.

While Ms Coffey said several ministers would attend the summit, she was unclear if King Charles would.

A Number 10 spokesperson reiterated on Friday that the King would not be attending.

“As is standard practice, government advice was sought and provided under a previous PM, and it was unanimously agreed that it would not be the right occasion for the King to visit in person,” they said.

Ms Coffey said the climate issue is “very much a priority” for the new government, although the climate minister Graham Stuart and COP26 president Alok Sharma were stripped of their cabinet seats in this week’s reshuffle.

In an interview with LBC Radio she said: “The UK continues to show global leadership as opposed to just a gathering of people in Egypt.”

Downing Street had said the prime minister has “other pressing domestic commitments” which will prevent him from attending the climate conference, and denied the snub signalled a downgrading of climate change as a priority.

Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said the move suggests Mr Sunak does not take climate change “seriously enough”, saying it is like “a runner failing to turn up with the baton at a crucial stage of the relay”.

And Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “The new PM’s decision not to attend COP27 makes a mockery of any government claims on continued climate leadership – and what a shameful way to end the UK’s COP presidency.”

Read More:
Egypt urges Sunak not to ditch UK’s climate pledges
King Charles will not attend COP27 in Egypt, Buckingham Palace says

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World leaders made a series of climate pledges at COP26 culminating in an agreement to strengthen emissions targets for 2030 by the end of next year.

Ending and reversing deforestation, cutting methane emissions and the journey to net zero were all agreed at the Glasgow summit last year.

Government data shows the UK is projected to emit nearly twice the amount of pollution as it should under its 2030s goals.

Ms Coffey admitted she had not seen the data, which was released last week. “I’m literally just a couple of days into my post,” she told the BBC.

She added: “I’m very confident that we will continue to try and take actions to reduce emissions.”

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