Numerous world leaders are getting ready to attend the Cop28. The Cop28 is a conference to discuss climate change and what needs to be done to reverse the effects. This year, the conference is in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
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It has been announced that Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, foreign secretary, David Cameron and King Charles will be attending the conference. However, the way they are travelling to Dubai has caused some major backlash as all three have been labelled hypocrites.
Sunak, Cameron and King Charles are taking private jets
It has been announced that the three representatives for Britain will be flying to Dubai in private jets separately, as per the Independent.
Naturally, this sparked major criticism as Sunak, Cameron and King Charles are attending a conference on climate change. Still, instead of taking the same plane together, they are all travelling separately to the same place.
According to the Independent, opposition parties have criticised the three representatives as they are ‘setting an awful example' and being a ‘waste of taxpayers’ cash’ by using three private jets.
The Liberal Democrats’ climate spokesperson Wera Hobhouse added:
The UK should be playing a leading role at Cop28 … instead, this government is slashing net zero targets at home while taking polluting private flights abroad.
Ed Matthew of the E3G campaign group added that ministers should no longer be allowed to travel by private jets and should be 'leading by example'.
Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist, added:
It’s important for our leaders to show respect for the amount of carbon dioxide they emit. Is it really beyond the capability of them and their offices to ensure that they fly by chartered or even just coordinate their own efforts?
Downing Street have defended their actions
Downing Street has tried to justify the government's decision as the junior ministers and officials attending the Cop28 conference will be flying commercial, as per the Independent.
Moreover, Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson also defended their decision to each take a private jet as they’ve claimed they aren’t ‘anti-flying’ and that they ‘continue to be a world leader in tackling climate change’.
The spokesperson said:
We are not anti-flying. We do not seek to restrict the public from doing so and it’s important the UK has strong attendance at Cop28, given we continue to be a world leader in tackling climate change.
Adding:
This government’s approach to tackling climate change, as we have set out repeatedly, is not about banning or reducing people from flying. It is through investing in new technologies of the future, as evidenced by the flight just yesterday using sustainable aviation fuel.
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Sources used:
Independent: ‘Sunak, Cameron and King Charles each take own private jets to travel to Cop28’
