Theresa May has decided not to include climate change as one of her four key objectives at the G20 summit taking place this weekend, despite it initially being expected to be the central theme.
It is essential that the richer nations set an example of how to tackle climate change. However, with May’s refusal to prioritise it, Trump pulling out from the Paris Agreement and Putin questioning if climate change is even caused by humans, it seems that the stronger forces do not take the issue seriously.
Instead, the Prime Minister has said she will prioritise cutting off terrorist financing, global migration, tackling modern slavery and “making the global economy work for everyone” as her four key objectives.
Hypocrisy
May’s chosen key objectives reek of hypocrisy. Following Britain’s recent surge in terrorist attacks, May claimed that she will “combat the threat from every angle”. However, as reported by Evolve Politics earlier this week, she still sits on a report on foreign funding of extremism in the UK. She has given no reason why she will not release the report, or no indication of what it contains. It is widely suggested that May is choosing not to release the report due to expected criticisms of Saudi Arabia, whom Britain maintains a strong relationship with.
How can she sincerely include cutting off terrorist funding as a key objective, when her ongoing actions are hindering politicians from tackling this very issue?
The Tories have recently also vigorously defended zero hour contracts, despite them being described by leading academics as ‘modern day slavery’. Only yesterday, a report urged the government to stage an “emergency intervention” after workers were found being forced into jobs paying only £2.50 per hour with contracts that could be cancelled at any moment.
This does not suggest that the party cares whatsoever about common forms of modern slavery.
It seems Ms May is eager to choose absolutely any topic distracting from the intended one of tackling climate change. You don’t have to look too far to see who she is trying to please by doing this…
One-on-one with Trump
During the summit, the Prime Minister will meet with President Trump, who she appears to be becoming increasingly close to. She has been accused of not standing up to him, particularly after refusing to sign the declaration that opposed his decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement.
The subject of climate change has also been left off the agenda for their one-on-one meet this weekend. In fact, it appears climate change has been continuously left off May’s agenda full stop.
With France, Germany and Canada amongst the countries who have expressed their disappointment in Trump’s stance on climate change, it is humiliating to see our own Prime Minister try to leave the issue off the agenda.
While the truly progressive countries are working together to tackle this crisis, we must ask how far May is prepared to go to humour a President that seems hell bent on ruining the planet.
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