Boris Johnson calls on richest countries to meet $100bn climate pledge

Published

3 years ago

September 19, 2021

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Rich countries must do more to help developing nations cut carbon emissions, Boris Johnson will tell other world leaders at a high-level gathering in New York.

The prime minister will be hosting the meeting on climate change with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

It is understood the PM is likely to focus on coal, cash support, cars and trees, which soak up carbon dioxide.

Mr Johnson is also expected to discuss global warming with President Joe Biden in a meeting at the White House in Washington.

Ahead of the gathering in New York, the PM said richer nations have “reaped the benefits of untrammelled pollution for generations”.

This has often been “at the expense of developing countries”, he added.

“As those countries now try to grow their economies in a clean, green and sustainable way we have a duty to support them in doing so – with our technology, with our expertise and with the money we have promised,” the prime minister said.

The UN meeting is seen as a way of galvanising action on climate change ahead of the COP26 summit, being held in the UK in November.

Earlier, however, COP26 President Alok Sharma admitted Chinese president Xi Jinping is yet to commit to attending the gathering in Glasgow, now fewer than 50 days away.

That is despite China being “key” to the talks because it is the “biggest emitter in the world”, Mr Sharma told Sky News.

He wants the Chinese to “come forward and make (COP26) a success together with the rest of the world”.

Developed countries agreed to give $100bn (£73bn) a year to developing ones by 2020, to help them cut their emissions, Downing Street said.

But by 2019 the level had reached only $79.6bn (£58bn), more than $20bn short of the target set for the following year.

The UK has asked Germany and Canada to take a lead on developing a “$100bn Delivery Plan”, to be published ahead of COP26.

Downing Street said that at the end of the UN General Assembly this week, the UK will publish the detail of countries’ climate finance commitments to date.

The UK has already committed £11.6bn in international climate finance over the next five years, Number 10 said – twice the previous five-year commitment.

Boris Johnson will say in New York that £550m of that will be allocated to support developing countries in adopting policies and technologies that end the use of coal.

The prime minister will also be meeting Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, to discuss the amount of tax the giant online retailer pays, and the help it might be able to offer on the environment.

Despite Amazon’s UK sales rising by 51% to almost £20bn during coronavirus lockdowns last year, it is estimated to have a tax to turnover ratio of just 0.37%.

Asked if Mr Johnson will bring up tax when he sits down with Mr Bezos, the PM’s official spokesman said: “We will very much be looking to raise that.

“We have been a lead advocate for an international solution to the tax challenges posed by digitalisation of the economy.”

Politics

University tuition fee rise branded ‘morally wrong’ – as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defends increase

Published

7 hours ago

November 5, 2024

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University tuition fee rise branded 'morally wrong' - as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defends increase

The education secretary has said no decision has been made on whether university tuition fees will increase with inflation each year.

Bridget Phillipson has announced the maximum cap on tuition fees in England will go up in line with inflation from April 2025.

The cost of tuition will increase by £285 to £9,535 next year – the first rise in eight years.

Politics latest: Big name comeback in new Tory shadow cabinet

There will also be a rise in maximum maintenance loans to increase in line with inflation, giving an increase of £414 a year to help students with living costs.

However, the education secretary did not say if the rise would continue after that.

Speaking to Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Ms Phillipson admitted she did not know what would happen with tuition fees after April 2026.

“We’re going to look at this and the maintenance support and the sector overall as part of the reform that we intend to set out in the months to come,” she said.

“So no decision, no decision has been taken on what happens beyond this.”

She said the government will be looking at “what is required… to get our universities on a more sustainable footing… but also to deliver a better deal for students as a part of that”.

The minister said she also “intends to look at” uprating the threshold at which students need to start paying tuition fees back in line with inflation.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), said the tuition fee rise was “economically and morally wrong”.

She said: “Taking more money from debt-ridden students and handing it to overpaid underperforming vice-chancellors is ill conceived and won’t come close to addressing the sector’s core issues.”

The National Union of Students (NUS) said students were being asked to “foot the bill” to keep the lights and heating on in their universities and to prevent their courses from closing down amid the “crisis”.

Alex Stanley, vice president for higher education of the NUS, said: “This is, and can only ever be, a sticking plaster.

“Universities cannot continue to be funded by an ever-increasing burden of debt on students.”

Universities have been making up for fees being frozen since 2017/18 by taking in international students who pay more.

However, student visa numbers have fallen after the previous government made it more difficult for them to come to the UK recently, so universities can no longer rely on the fees.

Politics

These crypto ETFs are ‘call options’ on the US elections

Published

9 hours ago

November 4, 2024

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<div>These crypto ETFs are 'call options' on the US elections</div>

The US presidential race could determine the fate of more than half a dozen proposed crypto ETFs.

Politics

Priti Patel makes comeback in Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet

Published

10 hours ago

November 4, 2024

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Priti Patel makes comeback in Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet

Dame Priti Patel has made a comeback as Kemi Badenoch has appointed her shadow foreign secretary, Sky News understands.

Ms Badenoch, who became Conservative leader on Saturday, started officially appointing her shadow cabinet on Sunday evening.

Politics latest: Reaction as Badenoch makes more shadow cabinet appointments

On Monday afternoon, the two biggest jobs were confirmed, with former home secretary Ms Patel being given the shadow foreign secretary role.

Former shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, who ran in the Tory leadership race and is considered more of a moderate than Ms Badenoch, has been made shadow chancellor.

Robert Jenrick, who lost out to Ms Badenoch, is the new shadow justice secretary, sources told Sky News.

Earlier in the day, Laura Trott, who served as chief secretary to the Treasury under Rishi Sunak, was appointed shadow education secretary.

The new Tory leader made her first appointments on Sunday evening ahead of her new top team meeting for the first time on Tuesday.

Now the Conservatives are in opposition, the shadow cabinet’s role is to scrutinise the policies and actions of the government and to offer alternative policies.

Nigel Huddleston and Dominic Johnson, junior ministers under Mr Sunak, were appointed joint chairmen of the Conservative Party.

The role involves overseeing the party’s headquarters, where staff and committee members have their offices.

Essex MP Dame Rebecca Harris was confirmed as chief whip after the interim chief whip Stuart Andrew said she was replacing him.

She will be responsible for ensuring Tory MPs attend and vote in parliament as the party leadership desires.

Former foreign secretary James Cleverly, who came third in the leadership race, said on Friday he would not be joining Ms Badenoch’s top team.

Ex-prime minister Mr Sunak, his former deputy Sir Oliver Dowden, ex-chancellor Jeremy Hunt and former Brexit, health, and environment secretary Steve Barclay have all said they will be joining him on the backbenches.