It’s a ‘no’ from Downing Street to Buckingham. King Charles III will not travel to the COP27 scheduled for November in Egypt, after the Prime Minister objected to his participation, reported on Saturday evening the Sunday Times.
The new monarch of the United Kingdom, fervent environmentalist, who has just succeeded his mother Elizabeth II, intended to hold a speech during this summit for the climate scheduled for November 6 to 18, according to the British weekly. But this plan was thwarted by Liz Truss, who opposed it during a personal audience with the king at Buckingham Palace in September.
A Prime Minister in turmoil
This information comes at a delicate time for the Prime Minister, in office for less than a month and already in turmoil after budget announcements that turned into a financial fiasco. Some fear Liz Truss is backtracking on the country’s climate change commitments.
The introduction last week of a bill to amend or remove hundreds of environmental protection laws inherited from the European Union by the end of 2023 acted as the straw breaking the camel’s back with advocates. of the environment. And his cabinet has several ministers who are skeptical of carbon neutrality by 2050 as prescribed by the Paris agreement. According to Sunday Timesthe Prime Minister will also not participate in COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh.
“The king was invited” to COP27
This summit was held in 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. Elizabeth II, the future King Charles III and her son William were present. A royal source told the newspaper that it was “no mystery that the king was invited” to COP27. But “he had to think very seriously about the steps to take for his first tour abroad” and the climate summit will not be part of it. In the UK, all official visits abroad by members of the Royal Family are carried out in accordance with government advice.