Not attending climate change summit, Focusing on economic issues: Rishi Sunak
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London: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his decision to not attend the upcoming COP27 climate change summit is due to the economic problems his country is facing. However, he asserted that he is "very personally committed" to environmental issues.
He told Sky News that at the moment, it is right that he focuses on the pressing domestic challenges with the economy. "I think that is what people watching would reasonably expect me to do." He added that the UK should be "really proud of how it is doing" because it is one of the countries that decarbonised the fastest.
Opposition Labour party leader Keir Starmer criticised the conservative party's decision to not attend the event. Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said that Sunak's absence was a "shameful way to end the UK's COP Presidency".
The COP27 UN climate change conference will take place in Egypt on November 7-8. The previous summit was hosted by the UK in Glasgow in Scotland. British politician Alok Sharma served as president.
