Sir Keir Starmer has travelled to COP29 in Azerbaijan to showcase the UK as a climate leader (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to call out Donald Trump for his climate sceptic views in a bid to avoid further fracturing Labour’s relationship with the incoming US president.
The Prime Minister would not be drawn on Mr Trump’s remarks just weeks ago that climate change was a hoax.
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Speaking to reporters while travelling to the UN climate change conference COP29, Sir Keir said: “I’m not going to comment on his views. I am very clear in mine which is that the climate challenge is something that we have got to rise to and that’s why I’ve repeatedly said we’ve got to show leadership.
“But I do think it’s more than just an obligation, it’s a huge opportunity.”
The US president-elect has called efforts to boost green energy a "scam" and his victory has been seen by climate experts as a major setback.
He will not be at COP29 with President Biden’s team pushing for progress but delegates in Baku know that anything they agree to will not bind the new administration.
It comes as several members of Sir Keir government denounced Mr Trump before the party was returned to power in July.
These include Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who called him a "Nazi sympathiser" in 2017 when he was a backbench MP.
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Wes Streeting, now health secretary, described Mr Trump as an "odious, sad, little man".
But Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden has said the depth of the UK-US relationship was "much more important" than previous remarks by Labour figures.
Sir Keir is expected to announce a new UK climate target on Tuesday to reduce emissions and showcase the UK as a climate leader.
Some expect the Government to promise to meet or even exceed climate advisors’ suggestions that the UK should make an international pledge to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to 81% below 1990 levels by 2035.
The country’s current emission reduction goal is to reduce emissions by at least 70% in 2030 and by at least 78% in 2035.
But Sir Keir on Monday would not commit to extra funding for the green agenda.
He said: “There is a sum of money that’s already agreed to by the last government that takes us through to 2025/26. We will honour that commitment.”
The Government will on Tuesday announce that offshore wind developers will be incentivised to invest in the UK’s industrial heartlands, coastal areas and oil and gas communities.
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Delivering on a Government manifesto commitment, the Clean Industry Bonus will come with a provisional ￡27 million per Gigawatt of offshore wind projects.
This means that clean energy developers who put forward projects with between 7GW or 8GW, the budget could go up to ￡200million.
Sir Keir said: “Our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower will fire up our industrial heartlands and break down barriers to growth in our hard-working towns and cities.
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“It will strengthen our national security - protecting our children and grandchildren from the climate crisis, and impact this will have on their future prosperity.
“By acting decisively and early, the UK has an opportunity to lead the world in the industries of the future — working in partnership with business — creating real energy security, cutting energy bills and building jobs and supply chains in the UK.
“But we can’t move alone - and at COP I will lead efforts to protect Britain from climate change by also working with other countries to accelerate the global clean transition to tackle the causes at its root.”