Cop27: Rishi Sunak accused of ‘massive failure of climate leadership’ in skipping summit

The decision comes on the same day the UN warned there is ‘no credible’ pathway in place to rein in global temperature rise to 1.5C

Rishi Sunak has been warned his decision to not attend the crucial Cop27 climate summit in Egypt in little over a week undermines the UK’s climate leadership as the world slips behind targets to limit global warming.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for climate change, said the decision was an “embarrassing reflection” of the government’s failure to deliver on its Cop26 commitments, saying the UK was “way off track” to meet its climate targets and has a net zero plan that the courts have ruled unlawful and inadequate.

“This is a massive failure of climate leadership,” he said.