UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would be the first prime minister in about a decade to steer clear from attending the annual UN General Assembly (GA) to avoid the risk of embarrassment after the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, urged world leaders to attend the climate ambition summit he called for on the sidelines of the GA.

However, Sunak wanted to avoid embarrassment, as Guterres set a condition to which leaders were allowed to attend the climate ambition summit, limiting it to leaders who have implemented policies in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement's goals, and who have real ambition to reduce national emissions, underscoring that merely having net zero targets would not be sufficient to guarantee participation.

According to the Secretary-General, the summit would take place at the New York headquarters on September 20.

Half-measures will not prevent full climate breakdown.

Today I urged the #G20 to demonstrate far more ambition on reducing emissions & supporting climate justice.

We have one planet.

Let’s save it.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 9, 2023

While Sunak avoided attending, it is expected that the UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, and Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, will likely attend.

“If it is the case that Rishi Sunak has been excluded from global climate discussions, it will confirm what we in the UK already know – that he is a prime minister who is trashing the UK’s reputation of climate leadership, just like he has trashed our nation’s clean power resources,” noted Ed Miliband, the shadow net zero secretary.

“The UK delegation at the UN general assembly high-level week will be led by the deputy prime minister, accompanied by the foreign secretary and others," said a No. 10 spokesperson who then added, “The prime minister is expected to hold discussions with a number of world leaders in the coming weeks, including at the G20 summit in New Delhi and the Cop28 summit in the UAE."

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Sunak to urge Modi to join West-driven anti-Russia alignment

Sunak will meet with Narendra Modi in Delhi this weekend to discuss a range of issues, including a potential free trade agreement, The Guardian reported on Friday. Sunak is also expected to use the meeting to urge Modi to take a tougher stance against Russia, given that India continues to import Russian oil.

Downing Street said Sunak would "raise the issue of the relationship between Delhi and Moscow" during the meeting.

The UK government is concerned that India's continued imports of Russian oil are helping to fund Russia's efforts in its special military operation in Ukraine, The Guardian stated. 

Modi has been reluctant to condemn Russia's military operation in Ukraine, and he has not imposed sanctions on Russia.

He even said India has a "long-standing relationship" with Russia and that he wants to maintain a neutral stance in the conflict.

It is unclear how receptive Modi will be to Sunak's calling. However, the UK government is hoping that the meeting will help to persuade India to take a more critical stance against Russia.

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