REACTION: Sunak’s green policy rollback ‘obscene shirking of domestic and international obligations’
Date: 21 September 2023
Campaigns: Climate
In response to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announced rollbacks on green policies,
Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, said:
“It beggars belief that on the day world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly met to pledge climate action, Sunak opted instead to stay in the UK and announce widespread reversals of green policies. This is an obscene shirking by the UK government of both their domestic and international obligations as people across the world are feeling the devastating impacts of climate change.
“If Sunak is seriously concerned about the cost of taking climate action, he should tax oil giants making billions from their climate-wrecking activities instead of handing them subsidies. This could fund loss and damage for the Global South, and help to implement a just green transition which would benefit people in the UK and around the world.”
In response to previous leaks suggesting Sunak is considering weakening key green policies,
Izzie McIntosh, climate campaign manager at Global Justice Now, said:
“The idea that the UK has ‘over-delivered’ on dealing with climate change is frankly ludicrous. Given the UK’s historic Co2 emissions are the fifth highest globally, it is only just that the UK Government uses our resources to stand in solidarity with communities globally – especially the Global South, who are feeling the harshest impacts of climate breakdown despite bearing least responsibility.
“Climate change consistently ranks as one of the most important issues to people in the UK today, but these leaks show Sunak is seemingly only interested in grabbing headlines and climate sceptic votes. Instead of taking this embarrassing step backwards, it’s high time that our government forces corporate polluters to finally pay their fair share of tax. This could fund loss and damage for the Global South, and help to implement a just green transition, which would benefit people in the UK and around the world.”
