Climate change: Sacked climate chief 'may sue government'
Climate change: Sacked climate chief 'may sue government'
By Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst
2/3/2020
Claire O’Neill, an ex-minister, was told by Downing Street that she couldn’t chair the Glasgow meeting because she was no longer a minister. But sources close to Ms O’Neill say they think she was fired for criticising government failings. They say the process for the climate meeting was in in disarray. The sources said different ministers were jockeying to lead the UN meeting, known as COP26, adding that the Prime Minister was out of touch.
But I understand that some of the basics still aren’t in place. It seems the meeting might even be switched away to London from Glasgow because security costs there are much higher...To compound the issue, the Prime Minister infuriated the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon by reportedly telling the Conservative conference he didn’t want her "anywhere near” the meeting.
Compared with the huge French diplomatic effort that brought about a surprisingly positive deal in Paris in 2015, the UK’s preparations are lagging...the challenge has been made more difficult because when Boris Johnson was Foreign Secretary he fired many of the UK’s overseas climate change envoys.
...Some observers who oppose the UK's climate change laws have celebrated her demise, arguing that she echoed environmental groups too closely. But her departure leaves a big hole, with the conference set for November. I understand that Michael Gove is keen to oversee the project.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51357200
