We are a few weeks away from the United Nations Annual Conference on Climate Change – better known as COP 27 – but this year’s event will be clearly lacking in royal attendance.
We now understand that Britain’s new monarch will not attend the next summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Earlier this week, several British media outlets reported that UK Prime Minister Liz Truss had advised King Charles III not to attend.
After doing some research, the CNN understands that the king’s presence at COP 27 had not been confirmed and, after consultations with the government, it was mutually decided that the climate conference was not the right occasion to mark Charles’s first visit abroad as sovereign. We have contacted the palace for an official statement but have not yet heard back.
But in a statement sent by email to CNN , a spokesperson for COP 27 confirmed that the King’s invitation had been “as a very special guest” and said the COP President-designate was “disappointed” by reports of his absence. He also warned the UK against lowering its climate targets as the Truss government looks at some of the more ambitious aspects of the UK’s Net Zero strategy.
“The Egyptian climate conference presidency recognizes Her Majesty’s strong and long-standing commitment to the climate cause and believes that her presence would have been of great added value to the visibility of climate action at this critical time. We hope this does not indicate that the UK is stepping back from the global climate agenda after chairing COP 26,” the spokesperson said. He also noted that Truss was still invited in her capacity as the head of the UK government.
In turn, Downing Street forwarded to CNN recent comments by the prime minister’s spokesperson, in which he refused to reveal details of the talks between the king and the prime minister “as a long-standing policy issue”. However, the spokesperson added that “we have a proud record when it comes to COP, we are moving forward with our plans for Net Zero – 40% of our energy now comes from clean energy sources and we will continue to deliver on those promises.” Downing Street said it will confirm Truss’ presence closer to the event date.
Charles’ track record as an avid climate advocate is well known, having started speaking out on the issue in the late 1960s. And at previous climate summits he has played an active role – involved in the whole process while pushing for action. global.
Last year, while still Prince of Wales, he replaced Queen Elizabeth II in Glasgow, who, as head of the host nation, was unable to welcome visiting delegations after a hospital stay. She ended up sending a video message, but it was Charles who opened the summit in November 2021, imploring countries to work with industries to create solutions to climate change.
“We know this will take trillions, not billions, of dollars,” he told delegations. Climate change and the loss of biodiversity pose a major threat and the world must go on a “war foot” to combat them, he added. Along with Camilla, William and Catherine, he participated in a number of engagements in the UN climate negotiations.
Charles also gave the opening speech in 2015 for COP 21 in Paris, where he urged world leaders to “take the long-awaited steps to rescue our planet”.
It was possible that Prince William, now in the role of Prince of Wales, could have traveled to Egypt in Charles’ stead, but Kensington Palace has confirmed that he will not attend this year either.
All this has left some wondering if Charles will have to abandon his environmental platform now that he is sovereign.
“Tradition may suggest that he should remain silent on political issues, a new sovereign is well within his royal prerogative to shape the contours of his reign,” wrote Joseph Romm, former acting assistant secretary of energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. during the Clinton administration, in a recent opinion piece for the CNN .
“Charles can and must make climate change a major focus of his reign, both in public and in private. In fact, it is likely the only way to keep the monarchy relevant in the decades to come, where climate change will become the dominant issue in the world as its impacts are increasingly widespread and catastrophic,” added Romm.
While the king will likely be disappointed to miss COP 27, many – including former US Secretary of State and climate envoy John Kerry – believe he will keep his mantle as a royal eco-warrior.
Kerry, who speaks regularly with Charles about climate issues, told CNN last month that the king was “deeply committed to these vital issues”.
“He always knew that at some point he would become king and he doesn’t want to not be able to put pressure on what is not a political issue. It’s not ideological, it’s science and it’s a reality and it’s happening all over the world,” Kerry told Christiane Amanpour of CNN .
“Going forward, Her Majesty is now absolutely gripped by a sense of urgency and a feeling that no nation is yet really doing enough,” he continued, adding that he truly feels that “the voice of the king can help to mobilize.”
Kerry also pointed to some of Charles’ projects, such as the Terra Carta initiative, as having helped bring the private sector to the table in recent years and having already made a difference in the fight against climate change.
And as the new monarch discovers how to fuse his passion for the natural world into his role as sovereign, his son William will continue his work through his Earthshot initiative.
The environmental award is due to arrive in Boston in early December for its second iteration. In 2020, William spoke about being inspired to start the award by his father and grandfather Philip – an illustration of how continuity has built up in royal roles over the years. He showed that when Charles became king, William would always continue this work – but very much in his own way.
*With information from Angela Dewan, CNN’s international climate editor.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
