Britain and the Western world must ensure action and dialogue to tackle climate change does not become part of a “neocolonial bubble” that "bullies" developing countries towards net zero, according to former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng ahead of COP28.
Between 30 November and 12 December, COP28 will bring together almost 200 countries and thousands of delegates, campaigners, and business representatives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where they will discuss how to collaborate to tackle global climate change.
COP28 has been criticised for being hosted in the UAE, with The Guardian reporting earlier this year that the country was set to carry out the third biggest net zero-busting plans for oil and gas expansion in the world, only behind Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
But Kwarteng told PoliticsHome he felt that hosting the conference in the Middle East was a good way to dispel the narrative in some parts of the world that action to tackle climate change is a form of “Western colonialism”.
Kwarteng, who was a minister from 2019 and then Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy between 2021 and 2022, will be attending as a delegate and is one of more than 100 parliamentarian members of the Conservative Environment Network.