UK PM Rishi Sunak criticized over plans to skip COP27
October 28, 2022, 3:15 pm

UK PM Rishi Sunak criticized over plans to skip COP27

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Photo. Official Twitter account

New UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced condemnation after his spokesman announced Thursday (Oct 27) he will not attend next month’s COP27 UN climate summit in Egypt due to “pressing domestic commitments.”

Britain hosted the last such summit, COP26, when it stressed the importance of global leaders convening to discuss climate change amid growing criticism of their failure to meet vital carbon reduction targets.

Sunak’s decision came on the same day the United Nations warned that countries’ climate pledges leave the world on track to heat by a potentially calamitous 2.6 degrees Celsius (36.7 degrees Fahrenheit) this century.

It also follows his moves to stop allowing the government’s COP26 minister Alok Sharma and climate minister Graham Stuart attending cabinet, as they had done under his predecessors.

Sunak was only installed Tuesday as the UK’s third leader in two months.

He replaced predecessor Liz Truss after she was ousted just seven weeks into her tenure over a disastrous tax-slashing mini-budget unveiled last month that sparked economic turmoil.

Egypt launches bike sharing project ahead of hosting COP27 - Photo. Pixabay

Truss had been set to attend the UN climate conference in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh, British media said.

“The prime minister is not expected to attend COP27 and this is due to other pressing domestic commitments including preparations for the Autumn Budget,” his spokesman told reporters, referring to a November 17 announcement of the government’s revised fiscal plans.

Britain’s new premier Sunak to skip COP27 climate summit

Downing Street insisted Sunak was “absolutely committed” to supporting COP27, denying he was downgrading the importance of tackling the climate crisis.

But he faced immediate criticism from opposition politicians and environmental groups.

“This is a massive failure of climate leadership,” said Ed Miliband, the main opposition Labour party’s former leader and now climate change spokesman.

“We were the COP26 hosts and now the UK prime minister isn’t even bothering to turn up.”

UN chief urges all countries headed to COP27 to prioritize climate action

He accused Sunak of failing to understand “that tackling the climate crisis isn’t just about our reputation and standing abroad, but the opportunities for lower bills, jobs, and energy security it can deliver at home.”

Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, compared Sunak’s decision to “a runner failing to turn up with the baton at a crucial stage of the relay.”

"Coming just after the ousting of Alok Sharma from the cabinet, this suggests that the new prime minister neither takes the climate crisis seriously enough, nor recognizes the opportunities for Britain to take a leadership role in helping to solve it.”

Source: alarabiya

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”