Commenting on the conclusion of a deal at COP26 in Glasgow with only a commitment to ‘phase down’ the use of coal, Liberal Democrat Leader and former Secretary of State for Energy Sir Ed Davey MP said: “It sadly looks like the Prime Minister has flunked the chance for the UK to lead real progress in the fight against the climate crisis. His COP has barely been worth excess emissions caused by the flights to Glasgow.
“We now need an urgent action plan to sort out the mess: we simply cannot sit and wait for COP27 and then COP28 after that. We need a global leaders’ summit within months to get China round the table and put the fossil fuel industry on notice once and for all.
“Over the last month Boris Johnson has treated COP26 as a glorified photo opportunity, when he should have spent the last year on the hard graft needed to save the planet.
“Johnson’s failure to prepare for COP26 properly and ultimately his incompetent leadership may have turned the 1.5 degree goal into a pipe dream.”