Boris Johnson to urge world leaders to go further in tackling climate crisis
Call to come at summit hosted by US president Joe Biden later this week
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson will this week urge world leaders to do more to tackle the “greatest challenge” that is the climate crisis.
On Thursday, the prime minister will use a summit hosted by US president Joe Biden to call on his global counterparts to go further on protecting the planet, Downing Street said.
The UK will call on other countries to “turn ambition into action” when it comes to climate change.
Alok Sharma, the prime minister’s climate change tsar, will also travel to Japan to help build greater international support.
The moves come as the UK prepares to host the major Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in November.
No 10 said that the UK was “using all international avenues” available to ask every nation to set ambitious targets to reduce emissions.
Cop president Mr Sharma is set to meet Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga and will call on him to follow the UK’s lead in phasing out backing for coal power.
He is also due to speak to other government ministers, business leaders and representatives from civil society to highlight Japan’s key role in leading international opinion.
Mr Sharma said: “The US Leaders Summit on Climate is a major event in this vital year for climate action on the road to Cop26 in Glasgow.
“The climate crisis is the greatest challenge that we face and it is our duty to address it.
“We are making progress but we are not there yet – there is much more work to be done.”
He added: “We need to turn ambition into action and coming together this week we are looking to raise global climate ambition, continue the momentum we have already seen and ensure we keep [a global change of] 1.5 degrees in reach.”
The former business secretary has visited Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Korea, Nepal and India in recent weeks, No 10 said.
In the lead up to November, the UK is also asking donor countries to deliver on a commitment to secure $100bn (£72bn) of public finance to help support developing countries and to help meet the goals of the previous Paris Agreement on climate change.
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