MICHAEL Gove has refused to answer questions on who will take over as chair of a crucial climate event in Glasgow later this year.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster refused to be drawn on who would take over as president of the "COP26" climate talks after former minister Claire O'Neill was sacked, saying he was waiting, like everyone else, for the announcement expected later this week.
Pressed on whether he would like the role, he said: "I am very happy with the job that I have and there are many many other people who could do the job of Cop president better than I ever could."
A number of high-profile figures in the Tories, including David Cameron and William Hague are said to have turned the position down.
READ MORE: Sturgeon urges collaboration to tackle climate change
Gove also said the UK Government needs to do more to tackle climate change in a speech at an event looking at crucial UN climate talks in Glasgow this year.
He pointed to the UK's achievements in cutting emissions so far, but said: "Even as we do celebrate what we've achieved, be in no doubt the Government recognises there's so much more we need to do in order genuinely to demonstrate leadership.
"It is not enough to look at the trajectory in the past. We have to be even more ambitious in the future. "
He said announcements would be coming through the year on areas such as energy generation, construction, house-building and energy-intensive industries.
READ MORE: Is this why Johnson wants to freeze Nicola Sturgeon out of COP26?
And he said: "One of the reasons we think it's so important is not just because we're hosting Cop but also because we believe the UK has a moral responsibility to lead."
As the leader of the industrial revolution, which powered the change in the climate, the UK has "a responsibility to lead a green industrial revolution as well, in order to show we acknowledge our responsibility, our debt to the planet and our debt to other people", he said.
As he answered a question on what he thought would be a successful outcome from the UN summit, a member of the audience at the Green Alliance conference called out there was a need for more than "recognition of the need to act" which had already been made 20 years ago.
He went on to say that a successful outcome would be if "the acceptance of the need to act leads to action which is irreversible, accelerating and inclusive".
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel