Gove Criticises US and Brazil for Climate Crisis Scepticism

Michael Gove has implicitly criticised the US and Brazilian presidents for their scepticism about the climate emergency, as he refused to comment on speculation that he could be put in charge of government preparations for UN climate crisis talks.

Gove, a Cabinet Office minister with a wide-ranging government role, used a speech opening an event looking ahead to COP 26 to express strong views on the UK’s likely role at the summit it is hosting in Glasgow in November.

A series of leading voices in the climate crisis have said the UK seems to be floundering in its preparations for the event, with the perceived chaos and lack of focus exemplified by the sudden dismissal of the former energy minister.

O’Neill later said that Boris Johnson had demonstrated a “huge lack of leadership and engagement” over the event, and that he did not understand the issue.

David Cameron subsequently turned down an offer from the prime minister to take over, and the spotlight has since turned on Gove, a former environment secretary whose cabinet role was formerly focused on preparing for a possible no-deal Brexit.

But asked after his speech to the Green Alliance conference in London if he would become the new president, Gove said: “I am very happy with the job that I have, and I think there are many, many, many talented people who could do the job of COP president better than I could.”

Using his speech to call for concerted global action on the climate emergency at the summit, Gove noted the lack of efforts on the issue by President Trump and the Brazilian leader, Jair Bolsonaro.

“I shan’t mention any world leaders by name in a critical fashion,” he began. “However, it’s important in the United States and in Brazil that we recognise that there will be people, at the state and at the city level, who can play a vital role in driving change that we all need to see.”

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Predicting that nonetheless COP 26 would be a success, Gove pointed to what he called “politically, a realisation of the scale of the challenge and the emergency” across the globe.