London CNN —
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is unlikely to attend next week’s COP27 climate summit in Egypt due to “other urgent commitments”, a Downing Street spokesman said on Thursday.
The UK will continue to be represented at the climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh by other senior ministers as well as COP26 President Alok Sharma, the statement said.
“The Government is absolutely committed to supporting COP27 and leading international action to tackle climate change and protect nature,” said a Downing Street spokesman.
“The Prime Minister is unlikely to attend the summit in Egypt due to other urgent domestic commitments, including preparations for the autumn declaration.”
Sharma and the senior ministers present will work to ensure countries continue to make progress on the commitments made at COP26 in Glasgow, the statement said.
The news comes weeks after British media reported in early October that prominent environmentalist King Charles III. would miss the COP27 after then Prime Minister Liz Truss advised him to drop his plans to attend.
CNN understands that the King’s attendance at COP27 had not been confirmed, and after consultation with the government there was a mutual understanding that this was not the right occasion for Charles’s first foreign visit as sovereign.
King Charles attended the climate conference in 2021 as Prince of Wales.