Comment on Boris Johnson UNGA speech

Commenting on a speech made by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the UN General Assembly today, Dr Alison Doig, International Lead for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “The Prime Minister’s language recognises that even in the Covid crisis, climate change looms large as a pressing global concern and that in fact nations have much to gain by tackling the two together.

“But despite calling on other nations to raise their climate targets this year, Mr Johnson stopped short of pledging that the UK will definitely put its own new target forward – the latest in a series of opportunities missed to make an unequivocal statement of global leadership.

“Over the coming year the UK will be in pole position to rally countries on both climate change and post-Covid rebuilding as incoming President of the UN climate convention and Chair of the G7, but the Prime Minister’s reluctance to proffer anything concrete on national climate policy or its international pledge is becoming ever more noticeable when set against the strong recent statements from the EU and, most dramatically, China.”