Climate minister Graham Stuart says he is no 'choir boy' as COP27 begins

  • Climate minister Graham Stuart told ITV News he was not "some sort of paragon"

The government's climate minister has said he is no "choir boy" on environmental issues as the international COP27 summit begins.

Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverley and Holderness in East Yorkshire, told ITV News he enjoys "travelling" and "consumption".

"I'm not setting myself up as some sort of paragon," he said. "I like travelling, I like consumption. What we're trying to do is work out a way that people can lead rich and fulfilling lives.

"We haven't all got to live in yurts."

Mr Stuart was appointed climate minister by the former Prime Minister Liz Truss and kept his position in the government of Rishi Sunak.

He said people needed to make "lifestyle changes" but should be able to continue to do what they wanted while reducing their environmental impact.

Pressed on changes to his own personal habits, Mr Stuart said he "probably" eats less red meat, going on to say his contribution was the work he had done while in office to help "align the incentives for everybody and reduce the emissions overall".

"I can't set myself up as a choir boy of climate," he said.

His comments came ahead of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, where leaders and scientists from across the world are meeting to discuss their response to the climate crisis.

COP27: World leaders start to gather in Egypt as key UN climate summit begins
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates during Cop27 Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA

Mr Sunak initially said he would not attend the summit, before changing his mind after facing criticism.

Mr Stuart insisted the government was committed to combating climate change.

"The Prime Minister and the whole government is committed to net zero," he said.

"He was coming in with a fiscal crisis and energy crisis and those immediate domestic priorities were the number one on his in-tray. But he has worked flat out as he promised he would do with the chancellor and has been able to carve out [the time] to go."

Mr Stuart said the UK was leading the way on climate change, but people needed to realise that more action was vital.

"We have seen above 40C in the UK this summer. All the science is reinforcing and showing us that we need to take action here and it's also showing that we're not on track," he said.

"We have cut our omissions more than any other major economy on earth. We have led the international conversation to get others to follow us. But we need the whole world to move together. There is not point having squabbles."

COP27 will take place from 7 to 18 November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

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