Sunak Prioritizes Managing Internal Turmoil Over Attending COP27 as UK Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not attend the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), which opens on November 6 (local time) in Egypt. This is to focus on managing the domestic turmoil caused by the large-scale tax cuts proposed by the previous Liz Truss cabinet. Attention is on whether King Charles III will attend in place of Prime Minister Sunak. King Charles III was previously unable to attend COP27 due to opposition from former Prime Minister Truss, but with Truss's fall from power, there is now a possibility that King Charles III will attend on behalf of Sunak.

According to major foreign media on the 27th (local time), the UK Prime Minister's Office announced that Prime Minister Sunak will not attend COP27. The Prime Minister's Office explained that Sunak plans to focus on the promises made to the public ahead of the Autumn Statement, which will announce the medium-term fiscal plan on November 17.

As the UK is currently the COP presidency country, international criticism is expected to be inevitable. The UK hosted COP26 in Glasgow last year and will officially hand over the presidency to Egypt at the opening of COP27 next month. COP27 is scheduled to be held in Egypt from November 6 to 18.

With Prime Minister Sunak absent, attention is on whether King Charles III will attend instead. King Charles III's attendance at COP27 was previously canceled due to opposition from former Prime Minister Liz Truss. With Truss's fall and the new Prime Minister Sunak's absence, it appears possible that King Charles III will attend in place of Sunak.

John Kerry, former senator and climate envoy of US President Joe Biden, expressed in an interview with the UK BBC on the 22nd that King Charles III should attend COP27.

Within the opposition Conservative Party, there were critical voices regarding Sunak's absence from COP27. Conservative MP Ed Miliband criticized, saying, "The UK was the host of COP26, but Sunak does not even intend to go to COP27."

Meanwhile, according to cabinet officials, Prime Minister Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt are discussing a fiscal tightening plan worth up to ?50 billion annually, including tax increases and spending cuts. Foreign media explained that ?50 billion corresponds to about 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP), similar in scale to former Prime Minister George Osborne's austerity budget in 2010.