It would be “very powerful” if King Charles attended the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry said, adding that it would make a difference to the British monarch’s credibility and leadership on environmental issues. Charles, who became king last month after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth, spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2021 summit in Glasgow, which he described as the “last chance salon” to save the world from climate change.
Earlier this month, a royal source said Buckingham Palace had asked the government for advice on the summit and it was unanimously agreed that it would not be appropriate for Charles to visit in person. The Sunday Times reported at the time that then Prime Minister Liz Truss told him not to go. A spokeswoman for the new prime minister, Rishi Sunaka, said on Friday that she was not aware that the advice given under previous governments had changed.
“I think it’s very useful to have the leaders of the countries in Sharm el-Sheikh, representative leaders, whether it’s a government or a monarchy, I think that would be great,” Kerry told Sky News late on Thursday when asked whether the king’s presence would be an auxiliary proceeding. “I know that his presence would make a difference … because he has credibility, because he’s been a long-time leader,” said Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate.
Sunak’s office announced that he would not be attending. Sunak said on Friday he was proud of the government’s record on climate change and Britain had shown leadership on the issue, but he was focused on domestic issues ahead of next month’s big fiscal announcement. “I’m very personally committed to it and at this point I just think it’s right that I’m also focusing on the pressing domestic challenges we have with the economy,” he told reporters.
Opposition Labor Party leader Keir Starmer criticized Sunak’s decision.”Many people would have expected the UK Prime Minister not only to attend the COP, but to use it as an opportunity to bring world leaders together,” he said. “If that doesn’t happen, it’s a failure of leadership.”
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