Boris Johnson picks minister to oversee troubled climate change summit

Job of restoring international confidence in COP26 goes to Alok Sharma, who will combine it with running the business department

Boris Johnson has finally picked a minister to oversee this year’s troubled climate change summit, appointing Alok Sharma to the role.

The job has been handed to the outgoing international development secretary, who will combine it with running the business department, where he replaces Andrea Leadsom.

The role of president of ‘COP26’ has been a growing controversy since Claire O’Neill was sacked – with two former Tory leaders, David Cameron and William Hague, turning down the job.

Michael Gove had been widely expected to be the ‘big hitter’ sent in to calm rising international concern that the United Nations summit – billed as the last opportunity to save the planet – will be a failure.

However, he will remain at the cabinet office as the domestic point man for the Brexit negotiations – with the little-known Mr Sharma, a Johnson loyalist, taking on the role.

His task will be to convince governments and climate campaigners that London has a grip on the conference, which must strike new international agreements to cut carbon emissions.

It is widely seen as the last realistic chance for countries to pledge the deep cuts to hold global heating to no more than 2C – and prevent catastrophic climate change.

The government has faced growing criticism that it has failed to announce practical measures to achieve its landmark legal commitment to achieve ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050.

Mr Johnson barely mentioned the climate crisis during the election campaign – and a strategy for achieving net zero will not emerge until the end of the year.

The summit itself has been rocked by disputes with the Scottish government over preparations and policing costs, with a London venue now being lined up as a back-up.

Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union of civil servants, said Mr Sharma’s other urgent task would be to “get serious” about the UK’s energy policy.

“The government has had no coherent energy policy for years, and the new secretary of state faces a string of urgent strategic decisions that need to be taken to achieve net zero,” he said.

“We need to see the energy white paper as soon as possible and the government must get serious about putting the investment in place to secure a low-carbon energy mix – this must include a new generation of nuclear power stations.”

The 52-year-old Mr Sharma, a former housing and employment minister, was born in India, but moved to Reading with his parents when he was five years old and is an MP in the town.

A father of two daughters, he backed Remain in the Brexit referendum, but backed Theresa May’s thwarted withdrawal deal – before swinging behind Mr Johnson’s strategy.