PM urged to go to UN climate talks amid faltering response to dangerous warming

Sir Keir Starmer is being urged to attend the latest round of UN climate talks in Brazil to show global leadership amid reports that he has no plans to do so.

World leaders meet at the start of the annual two-week summit, where more than 200 countries seek to agree on commitments to limit and adapt to the changing global climate.

But some Downing Street aides have advised the Prime Minister to skip this year’s Cop30, taking place in the city of Belem in Brazil’s Amazon in November, according to the Financial Times.

The publication reported that some officials are concerned about criticism from the Reform party, which has pledged to scrap net zero targets if voted into power, and believe Sir Keir should be focusing on domestic issues.

Campaigners and politicians are now arguing that the Prime Minister must attend Cop30 to reaffirm Britain’s commitment to climate action amid a fraying global consensus.

Sir Keir went to last year’s Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and as leader of the opposition criticised then-Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak for missing the summit in Egypt in 2022.

Tanya Steel, WWF’s chief executive, said: “This is the most important climate Conference since the UK hosted Cop26.

“Following droughts and heatwaves that have contributed to rising food prices here at home, it is vital that heads of government attend to maintain momentum to tackle climate change.

“We agree with what Keir Starmer said when leader of the opposition, that ‘the Prime Minister… needs to show leadership’, and that at a time of rising energy costs, ‘people who can’t afford to pay their energy bills expect their Prime Minister to be on the world stage sorting these problems out’.”

Ami McCarthy, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, added: “The Prime Minister’s presence in Brazil would show that this Government remains serious about the solutions that will save us money and improve our health – whether by lowering bills through renewable energy or cleaning the air we breathe by backing electric vehicles.”

Green party leader, Zack Polanski said: “If Starmer doesn’t go, this would be a huge abdication of responsibility.

“If you accept there is a climate emergency, you need to act as such.

“And the first thing you need to do is build an international consensus on the response.

“The very least the Prime Minister could and should do is turn up. Instead, Starmer’s missing in action at this time of crisis and frankly, that speaks volumes.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who is heading up the Government’s drive to decarbonise the energy grid by 2030, will attend Cop30 in Belem.

But the Prime Minister’s absence could somewhat dampen resolve at the multilateral summit, which needs world leaders to show a united front in the absence of Donald Trump, especially after he dismissed climate change as a “con job” in a speech at the UN last week, in contradiction of decades of climate science.

Alex Sobel, a Labour MP who also attended Cops as a shadow minister, said: “World leaders should attend Cop30.

“Brazil had the highest deforestation rate under its last president and the return of Lula shows that political leadership can make a difference, with Amazon deforestation reaching a nine-year low according to a Mongabay report in 2024.”

After the last two UN climate summits took place in oil-rich nations – the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan – Mr Sobel said the UK needs to “show support for the Cop process, and what can be achieved with the right political leadership”.

It is understood that a final decision has not been made on whether Sir Keir will attend Cop30, nor is it known whether King Charles will go, having spoken at summits in the past.

Last year, the new Labour Government sought to reposition the UK as a global climate leader after Mr Sunak’s row back on key net zero pledges, and played a key role in supporting the Azerbaijan presidency with the negotiations at Cop29.

But concerns are growing that Sir Keir may be attempting to shift political focus away from net zero policies as pushback intensifies both at home and abroad.

Last year was the hottest on record, while the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred in the last decade, from 2015 to 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

In the UK, the growing impacts of climate change have contributed to a “nationally significant incident” water shortage this year, with officials saying drought status in some regions could persist through to winter.

The dry conditions have hit crop yields, affected the breeding patterns of some animals, harmed wetlands and river ecosystems, increased the wildfire risk and prompted several areas to impose hosepipe bans.

It comes after a group of international scientists said the global water cycle is becoming more erratic and harder to predict as Earth’s climate changes.