Boris Johnson told to get grip of UK climate strategy before Cop26

‘Worrisome’ policy decisions could undermine UK leadership and the talks themselves, say senior climate expertsBoris Johnson must urgently take control of the UK’s presidency of vital UN climate talks, amid a shower of green policy setbacks and growing concern over the lack of a coherent all-government climate strategy, senior international figures have said.The Cop26 climate summit is viewed as one of the last chances to put the world on track to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, of holding global heating well below 2C, and preferably no more than 1.5C, above pre-industrial levels. There are just over six months left before the crunch talks are scheduled to begin in Glasgow in November.The green light for a Cumbrian coalmine, which provoked a months-long rowthat ended with the promise of a public inquiryNew licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, while other countries have been asked to forego fossil fuel reserves to stay within global carbon budgetsCutting overseas aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDPThe UK’s support for climate sceptic Mathias Cormann to become head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentScrapping the UK’s only “green recovery” measure, the green homes grantSupport for airport expansionSlashing incentives for electric vehiclesNet zero target, including a 10-point planCommitment to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030 – a stiffer set of cuts than promised by comparable developed countries£11.6bn in climate finance to developing countries between 2021 and 2025Boost to offshore wind through licensing of sites, funding to improve ports and Contracts for Difference£1.3bn to local authorities for insulation and low-carbon heating to social housing and households on low incomesFunding for some low-carbon emerging technologies, including hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and nuclear fusionIntegrated review of defence and foreign policy made climate change “number one priority” for international policyEnd to funding fossil fuels overseasSlashing overseas aid from 0.7 % of GDP to 0.5%Cumbrian coalmine given green light, now subject to public inquiryLicensing of new oil and gas exploration sites in North SeaScrapping the £1.5bn green-homes grant for home insulation and low-carbon heating, leaving 20 million households without incentives to decarboniseSlashing incentives to buy electric cars, freeze on fuel duty and £27bn road-building scheme, while emissions from transport fell only 1% in last decadeSupport for Mathias Cormann, a climate sceptic, to head the OECD despite concerns from many countries and campaignersSupport for airport expansionCovid-19 stimulus money given to high-emitting companies without green strings attachedMissing tree planting targetsThousands of green jobs lost Continue reading...