London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 16, 2026

Boris Johnson’s plea for climate commitments at COP26 provokes ire of Twittersphere

Boris Johnson’s plea for climate commitments at COP26 provokes ire of Twittersphere

The British prime minister’s climate change message ahead of the COP26 summit in Glasgow does not appear to be resonating with everyone, as some Britons accuse the PM of hypocrisy.

Throughout the weekend, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated the need for the global community to do more on climate change. His plea reached a crescendo on Sunday evening as he claimed G20 commitments to climate change were “not enough” and that promises were “starting to sound hollow.”

In remarks unusually devoid of his trademark puns, jokes, or bonhomie, Johnson told the global press that “there are no compelling excuses for our procrastination,” claiming that if the world does not act now, the Paris agreement will be seen as the moment humanity “flinched and turned away” from the problem of climate change.

“Not only have we acknowledged the problem, we have already seen first-hand the devastation that climate change causes – heatwaves and droughts to wildfires and hurricanes,” the prime minister stated.

Johnson doubled down on his critical remarks in a tweet on Monday morning: “History will judge us on what we achieve over the next two weeks. We cannot let future generations down.”

But while the climate crisis might be the top of the agenda for politicians and many others around the world, it appears that many on the Twittersphere aren’t buying Johnson’s hard-sell on global warming.

Some suggested Johnson and his fellow international leaders were hypocritical as they fly across the world in private planes emitting tonnes of CO2. “Climate is such an emergency you all have to jet in to discuss it,” one Twitter user wrote.

One person highlighted that the COP26 summit could have gone ahead with zero emissions if they had used video-conferencing software.

Others noted that Johnson actually flew from London to Cornwall for the G7 summit in the summer, questioning whether the prime minister is actually committed to climate change or whether it’s just more bluster.

Another shared a GIF suggesting that the level of hypocrisy was off the scale.


Despite the PM’s remarks and tweet being well liked and shared, there were few people willing to argue for him within the torrent of criticism that flooded the comments section.

At the COP26 summit, which officially started on Sunday, 200 nations are being asked to put forward their plans to cut carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, signed in December 2015.

The pledges are part of a global agenda to keep global warming less than 2C above pre-industrial levels in order to avoid a climate catastrophe; reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 is deemed to be a major part of this.

Speaking in the Colosseum on Saturday, Johnson highlighted that civilization can over-extend itself, and the decline of the Roman Empire was the prime empire of how humanity can go backwards as well as forwards. “We can fix it, but the lesson of history is that things can go badly wrong and stay wrong for a long time,” the PM continued.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
Solicitor General Refers Murder Sentence to Court of Appeal Under Unduly Lenient Scheme
UK Launches £1.6 Million Mobile Museum Initiative to Expand Cultural Access
Judicial Pay Structure Undergoes Government Review Following Senior Recommendations
Government Confirms Nearly 180 New Youth Hubs Across the United Kingdom
UK Government Expands Careers Support Through Partnership with LinkedIn
Digital News Report Highlights Growing Global Concern Over AI and Information Overload
UK Chancellor Reaffirms Fiscal Discipline and Borrowing Reduction Strategy
UK Government Invests £219 Million in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Development
Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors Secures Major Swedish Export Contract
Government Confirms Locations for Nearly 180 Youth Hubs Across Great Britain
UK Government Partners with LinkedIn to Expand Employment Support Services
Reuters Institute Report Flags Rising Public Anxiety Over News and Information Overload
UK Government Commits £219 Million to Expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry
Chancellor Convenes Market Engagement Group to Assess UK Economic Outlook and Productivity Risks
Rolls-Royce Wins Multibillion-Pound Swedish Contract for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Government to Ban Social Media Access for Under-Sixteens Across the United Kingdom
Government Approves Fast-Tracked Broadcast Merger Reshaping UK's Media Landscape
Resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey Triggers Debate Over UK Military Strategy
Britain Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts to Support US-Iran Ceasefire
Bank of England Faces Tough Interest Rate Choices After Economic Contraction
Belfast Sees Second Day of Anti-Migrant Riots as Police Deploy Water Cannons
UK Economy Shrinks in April as Energy Price Shocks Weigh on Growth
UK to Ban Social Media Access for Children Under 16 From 2027
UK Parliament Opens Week of Fast-Tracked Security and Infrastructure Legislation
Northern Ireland Projects £21 Million Boost From Major Cultural and Sporting Events
UK and Japan Sign Technology Security Pact to Strengthen AI and Supply Chain Cooperation
UK Welcomes US-Iran Peace Breakthrough Aimed at Restoring Strait of Hormuz Shipping
British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in English Channel Sanctions Operation
UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Under Landmark Online Safety Expansion
Anti-Immigrant Riots Spread Across Belfast, Raising Security Concerns
Ministry of Defence Opens Europe's Largest Drone Testing Facility in Swindon
Kemi Badenoch Calls for Deregulation to Restore City's Global Competitiveness
UK Housing Market Posts Sharpest June Price Decline in Fourteen Years
NHS Waiting Lists Rise to 7.22 Million as Diagnostic Delays Reach New Highs
Makerfield By-Election Raises Prospect of Labour Leadership Challenge
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at 3.75% Despite Growing Policy Divisions
Royal Marines Seize Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker in English Channel
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Set to Ban Social Media and AI Chatbots for Under-16s
United Kingdom Markets Rally After US-Iran Deal Reopens Strait of Hormuz
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute, Triggering Cabinet Crisis
Royal Navy Takes Part in Trooping the Colour for the First Time in 350 Years
Think Tank Warns Labour's European Union Reset Could Carry Significant Economic Costs
UK Semiconductor Centre and Japan's Rapidus Forge Advanced Chip Manufacturing Partnership
UK and Japan Launch Offshore Wind Compact Backed by £9 Billion in Investment
Starmer and Trump Discuss Iran Peace Efforts and Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
United Kingdom and Japan Sign £18 Billion Investment Partnership Focused on Clean Energy and Advanced Technology
×