Sunak’s attendance at Cop28 will be a global embarrassment for Britain

The PM’s plan is a regressive slap in the face to the international community that betrays Britain’s climate obligations at the worst possible time, writes Samuel Kasumu, former special adviser to Boris Johnson

Compared to the Cop28 blueprint, Sunak is doubling down on ageing industries rather than capitalising on the future (PA)

Having served as the most senior Black adviser in 10 Downing Street, I know first hand how real change is always driven by outsiders.

Which is why I wasn’t surprised to find a repeat of old policies announced in the King’s Speech – namely, prime minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to accelerate annual North Sea oil and gas licensing. The announcement comes just weeks before world governments converge on the UN Cop28 climate summit hosted by the UAE – perhaps the last chance for a global deal to avoid the dreaded 1.5 degrees celsius threshold that would herald global catastrophe.

Given this urgency, Sunak’s plan is a regressive slap in the face to the international community that betrays Britain’s climate obligations at the worst possible time.