Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband are at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil today despite the biggest world leaders staying away.
The PM enjoyed a black tie bash last night after making the emissions-heavy 12,000-mile round trip to the Amazon to reiterate his commitment to Net Zero.
Sadiq Khan and Labour’s West Yorks mayor Tracy Brabin have also made the long trip to attend the annual talking shop.
But questions have been raised about the value of the gathering, with Donald Trump snubbing it along with the leaders of China and India.
The Tories accused Sir Keir of flying halfway around the world to give ‘moral lectures’.
The PM is accompanied by a large Government delegation, but officials would not say how many civil servants were attending.
Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband enjoyed a black tie bash last night after making the emissions-heavy 12,000-mile round trip to the Amazon to reiterate his commitment to Net Zero
Sir Keir and Jacinda Ardern at the Earthshot prize ceremony last night
Sir Keir was at Prince William’s Earthshot awards in the Brazilian city overnight – having missed a potentially awkward PMQs session in the House of Commons
The London mayor has been posting pictures of himself chatting with international colleagues against the exotic Rio backdrop
Sir Keir was at Prince William’s Earthshot awards in the Brazilian city overnight – having missed a potentially awkward PMQs session in the House of Commons. He has more engagements later today before flying back to the UK.
The premier has enraged some climate campaigners by signalling that Britain will not contribute directly to a rainforest protection fund.
Before arriving, Sir Keir said: ‘It’s full speed ahead in our mission to bring about the clean power revolution – delivering energy security, getting bills down for good and generating growth in communities across the UK,’ he said.
‘I won’t let down future generations. At COP30 I will continue to show UK leadership on the world stage… to stand up for our values and our future.’
Sir Sadiq and Ms Brabin travelled to Rio de Janeiro for the C40 World Mayors Summit, with voters on social media questioning why they were trying to save the climate by ‘flying 5,000 miles’ and asking why they couldn’t have joined the meeting virtually.
The London mayor has been posting pictures of himself chatting with international colleagues against the exotic Rio backdrop.
While the Tories have said they will bin climate change laws, and Reform has vowed to axe all Net Zero policies, a defiant Sir Keir said he had not changed his mind on his clean energy ambitions.
Earlier this week, Sir Keir acknowledged that the summit would be a ‘challenge’ as many world leaders, including the USA and China, abandon climate change goals.
Speaking to sixth-form pupils in Downing Street, he said: ‘I’ve thought climate change has been our biggest challenge as a species for a very long number of years.
‘I haven’t changed my mind because some other people have changed their minds. It’s very important we go and we show that leadership.’
Sadiq Khan (pictured right with his Rio counterpart) has also made the long trip to attend the annual talking shop
He said his delegation will travel to COP30 with young people ‘first and foremost in our minds’.
But Tory energy spokesman Claire Coutinho said Mr Miliband’s policies were putting off other countries rather than encouraging them.
‘Countries aren’t persuaded by Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband flying halfway around the world to give them moral lectures – they are persuaded by prosperity,’ she said.
‘Ed Miliband’s mad energy policies are locking Britain into sky-high energy bills for decades and destroying economic growth.
‘He is making us a warning, not an example, to the rest of the world.’
