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The Rhodes wildfires are a “wake-up call” to climate change, government officials said. It comes just hours after the government watered down one of its flagship policies.
Updating colleagues on the UK’s response to the Greek island situation, Rose’s deputy chief of staff, Earl Courttown, said it was “essential” for the world to recognize that the fires were caused by global warming.
The comments came after Rishi Sunak said he was willing to relax some of his goals on reaching net zero to make it more affordable for voters, and said he shouldn’t be “bothered” by the government’s environmental policies.
And leveling secretary Michael Gove said Tuesday morning that a pledge to ban new gas boilers by 2035 would be “relaxed” for private landlords.
Lord Courttown told colleagues that the sight of Rhodes “is a wake-up call as far as climate change is concerned and it is imperative that the world recognizes it”.
He said tackling climate change remained “a top government theme priority” in foreign policy, with the UK spending £1.4 billion on international climate finance in 2021-22.
MPs and members of parliament have expressed disappointment at various messages from the government, with former Conservative minister Lord Goldsmith leading a call for the prime minister to stick to his net-zero policy.
In a letter to Sunak, Lord Goldsmith and members of the bipartisan all-parliamentary group on climate change urged him to put an end to new fossil fuel projects such as the Rosebank oil field and focus on environmental policy, including attending the Cop28 climate change talks in Dubai in November.
“The recent 2023 Progress Report to Parliament from the Climate Change Commission makes it clear that signals about the UK’s serious commitment to climate action threaten to undermine this effort, damage our reputation and permanently abandon our position as the world leader in climate action.”
“This is a crucial moment to prove to the world that the UK is not demoting itself to be a passive observer in international action on climate change, and that we remain a trusted partner and are fully committed to delivering on our commitments.”
Lawmakers called on Britain to join Denmark, France and Germany in calling for an “urgent phase-out of fossil fuels”.
Lord Goldsmith resigned as climate change minister last month, accusing Sunak of being “indifferent” to climate change.
Former Cop26 president Alok Sharma said. Politico: “We have a legally binding commitment to reach net zero by 2050, as well as a legally binding short-term carbon budget.
Downing Street said the net zero policy should be “proportional and realistic”.
Caroline Lucas, Green MP and Climate Change APPG Chair, said: “The Earth is on fire and Rishi Snak is dozing off at the wheel.
“For too long he has been silent on global climate change leadership and absent on domestic climate action. The least a prime minister can do is agree to attend Cop28 — not repeat last year’s excruciating U-turn.”