Glasgow: Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will now attend the COP26 UN climate conference after weeks of initial hesitation.
Global leaders will meet in Glasgow next month to negotiate a new deal to stall rising global temperatures. Mr Morrison drew criticism when he indicated last month that he might skip the meeting.
Australia, a large producer of coal and gas, is under pressure to commit to stronger climate action. Its climate policies and emissions reductions are ranked among the worst in the OECD.
“I confirmed my attendance at the Glasgow summit, which I’m looking forward to attending. It is an important event,” Mr Morrison told reporters.
Climate activists had slated Mr Morrison for not committing to attend, and it was being seen as a diplomatic snub to the UK, a close ally of Australia.
In an interview to the BBC, Prince Charles earlier expressed surprise at Mr Morrison’s comments, urging leaders to act urgently to combat climate change. COP26 will be held between 31 October and 12 November in Scotland’s largest city.
The COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow in November is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control. Almost 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions, and it could lead to major changes to our everyday lives.
Mr Morrison had cited the challenges of Covid as a reason he might not attend, saying he had already served a great deal of quarantine. But Australia is beginning to make plans to end quarantine requirements.
Many countries have set ambitious targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, but Australia has refused to do so. BCC
