Putin not part of climate summit

Special Desk

For no reason till yet, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will not be seen at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

COP26 is slated in Scotland’s largest city between October 31 and November 12. No reason was given for this decision that surprised many. But according to Kremlin spokesperson, climate change was significant and priority for Russia.

Russia’s decision is seen as a blow to efforts to get leaders to negotiate a new deal to stall rising global temperatures. “Unfortunately, Putin will not go to Glasgow,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media, adding that climate change was one of our foreign policy’s most important priorities.

When asked about Putin’s decision, a spokesman for Boris Johnson said the UK prime minister had previously strongly encouraged leaders to attend “given this is a very critical moment in terms of tackling climate change”. More than 120 leaders had confirmed their attendance, the spokesman said.

The world is warming because of fossil fuel emissions caused by humans. Extreme weather events linked to climate change such as heatwaves, floods and forest fires are intensifying. The past decade was the warmest on record. In this conference, 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions by 2030.

As per the Paris Agreement countries have to keep making bigger emissions cuts until reaching net zero in 2050. At COP26, most countries will set out their plans to reduce emissions before the summit starts.

Some announcements could include, making a faster switch to electric cars, speeding up the phasing out of coal power, and cutting fewer trees.

Putin has not commented on the announcement of his non-attendance. He may attend virtually. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also unlikely to attend COP26, though Chinese officials have reportedly not entirely ruled out a change of plans.

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Earlier in October, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attracted widespread criticism for suggesting he might skip the summit, but he later announced that he would indeed attend.

COP26 is the biggest climate change conference since landmark talks in Paris in 2015. Some 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming, by 2030.