‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the biggest emitter of them all?’

It’s not the UK, that’s for sure, despite  the Prime Minister’s pledge to hand even more money over to COP28 in a speech lasting roughly three minutes. Despite all his pledges, there was a gaping omission at the heart of his speech:  any mention of China and their contribution towards global emissions. Or the US. Or India.

Indeed, he did not actually name any of the world’s leading polluters at all.

As the following report goes on to illustrate, the UK’s contribution to CO2 world emissions constitutes less than 1% of the total.

And yet the Prime Minister is determined to go further with additional pledges totalling £3.2bn toward climate change policies. But without the co-operation of ‘The Big Five’ (see below) it really won’t make a ha’porth of difference.

We are indebted to our research affiliate, BrexitFacts4EU.Org for their report which can be read in full below, with a link to the original article beneath it.

Rishi spent 14 hours in the air to deliver a 3-minute address to the COP28 in Dubai

In his speech he pledged an extra £3.2bn of UK money for climate change policies

Er… Is the UK really a “major emitter”, Prime Minister?

On Friday (01 Dec 2023) the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a flying visit to the COP28 conference being held in the United Arab Emirates. He was in and out within the day, which it seems would barely have made it worthwhile taking the 14-hour return flight.

In fact, it appears he will have spent longer in an aircraft than he spent on the ground in Dubai. Quite what Greta Thunberg would say about this ratio of his carbon footprint to his footprints on the ground is something one can only guess at.

The Prime Minister’s address

The Prime Minister spoke to the Conference for approximately three minutes. We leave it to readers to judge whether this was worthwhile.

SUMMARY

The PM’s address to the COP28 Climate Change Conference – in full

Dubai, Fri 01 Dec 2023

“As we conclude the first Global Stocktake, we must be brutally honest. Although we’ve made great progress together the world is just not moving fast enough.

“Climate science shows we’re off track. And climate politics is close to breaking point because the gap between pledges and delivery is undermining credibility.

“While we make new commitments here, major emitters must dramatically accelerate delivery of what they’ve already promised. We all need to do more. And we must address the disconnect between lofty rhetoric on stages like this and the reality of people’s lives around the world. The way to do that is by delivering a truly just transition.

“Let me be clear, the UK is totally committed to Net Zero, the Paris Agreement, and to keeping 1.5 alive. That’s why we’ve decarbonised faster than any other major economy. Our 2030 target means the deepest cuts of any major emitter, and we’re determined to deliver.

“But instead of putting more pressure on working people, we’re choosing a pragmatic new approach. We’re ramping up renewables and embracing the opportunities of technology and green industry because we’ve shown you can cut emissions while growing the economy and creating jobs.

“Those facing the worst impacts of climate change are desperate for the world to do more. So we’re also working to deliver a just transition globally. And that means more support for those in need.

“The UK is already one of the largest global climate donors – and we’re tripling our adaptation finance. I’ve announced a further £1.6 billion for the Green Climate Fund – the UK’s biggest single international climate commitment. And today, I’m going further with an additional £1.6 billion of support for clean energy and innovation and to deliver on the historic Glasgow forests deal, because we can’t get to Net Zero without nature.

“This also includes up to £60 million for Loss and Damage… £40 million of which is for the new fund. To succeed, the fund must be open to all sources of support.

“And because the UK is the world-leading green finance centre we’re also helping unlock trillions in private finance to meet this need – and keep 1.5 degrees within reach.

“I believe we can deliver here in Dubai – but we’ve got to work together. The debate is too divided developed versus developing, ambition on mitigation versus finance for transition and adaptation. The truth is simple – we need both.

“In place of division, we need ambitious, collective action – like we promised in Paris and Glasgow. That’s how we’ll get back on track – by bringing everyone with us because a truly just transition leaves no one behind.”

Er… Is the UK really a “major emitter”, Prime Minister?

Readers will note that as usual there wasn’t a single word in the PM’s speech about the biggest polluter on the planet – China – nor about the EU’s biggest economy Germany, which pumps out double the amount of CO2 as the UK does, and which has been re-activating its coal-fired power stations.

Nor was there a word about India, which has just landed a spacecraft on the moon and which is the third biggest emitter of CO2 emissions in the world.

© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2023 – click to enlarge

Nor did the PM stress that the UK, despite being the sixth largest economy in the world, is responsible for only 0.93% of CO2 emissions in the world.

© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2023 – click to enlarge

Instead he chose to say:

“Our 2030 target means the deepest cuts of any major emitter, and we’re determined to deliver.”

Given that the UK is demonstrably NOT a major emitter and hasn’t been for many years, this seemed an odd statement to have made in front of the world.

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OBSERVATIONS

The extra £3.2bn pledged by the Prime Minister on Friday is merely a fraction of what the Government has already spent on a wide variety of ‘climate change’ policies, which runs into the hundreds of billions of pounds.

Indeed, so small was this announcement that we wonder why the PM bothered to mention it. Instead, he could have given the COP28 audience the total of how much money the UK Government has already put into climate change policies across the board over recent years.

Finally, what was King Charles III doing, making the opening address in Dubai?

Once again we must say that climate change is a deeply political subject, whether you believe in the orthodoxy or not.

Vast sums are at stake, the consequences for international disputes are obvious, and we respectfully suggest this is no place to find the Monarch of the United Kingdom giving an opening speech to around 120 countries.

We have a detailed report on this, which readers will be able to read in the coming days.

The original report can be found here.

CIBUK thanks its Affiliated Organisation Brexit Facts4EU.Org for permission to republish this article.

Main image: Montage © Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2023