Monday 3 February 2020

COP26: UK removes Claire O’Neill as President of the climate summit

Former Energy Minister Claire Perry O’Neill has been removed as President of the UN COP26 climate change summit taking place in Glasgow later this year.

She has been axed just six months into her role and using her Twitter handle of @COP26President, she said the position has now been “rescinded” as Whitehall “can’t cope” with an independent unit that is organising the conference.

https://twitter.com/Cop26President/status/1223294506843410436

The COP26 summit will be the largest ever the UK has hosted, with around 30,000 delegates, including 200 world leaders expected to attend.

The Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow has been chosen to host the event.

A statement from the Cabinet Office said: “Claire Perry O’Neill will no longer be UK COP26 President.

“The prime minister is grateful to Claire for her work preparing for what will be a very successful and ambitious climate change summit in Glasgow in November.

“Preparations will continue at pace for the summit and a replacement will be confirmed shortly. Going forward, this will be a ministerial role.”