COP26: Boris Johnson calls current target on sustainable aviation fuel 'pathetic'

British PM Boris Johnson, on Tuesday, slammed current targets on aviation sustainable fuel as “pathetic” and claimed that the sector can do better at curtailing its greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing media reporters at the conclusion of the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP26), Johnson reckoned that the target was not to get 10p sustainable fuel for the whole world by 2030. Earlier at the summit, PM Modi also called for increased usage of renewable and non-fossil sources of energy.

Meanwhile, Johnson announced the new target of using 10% sustainable aviation fuel for the whole world by the end of this decade. While he admitted that aviation was a tough nut to crack, he still termed the new target as “pathetic.” During the much-vaunted climate summit, Johnson also rallied support for “green technology”. According to ANI, he urged major world leaders including US President Joe Biden and Duke of Edinburgh  Prince Charles to be “more ambitious” in the field.

Johnson said, "The target at the moment is to get to 10p sustainable avation fuel for the whole world by 2030. How pathetic is that ! we can do better than that folks!” the British leader told the summit".

Johnson calls for dramatic action against climate change

Earlier on Monday, Johnson had warned the world leaders to take dramatic action against climate change. “It’s one minute to midnight and we need to act now,” he told more than 130 leaders in Glasgow, Scotland. According to a report by PTI, Johnson said “We have to move from talk and debate and discussion to concerted, real-world action on coal, cars, cash and trees.” “Not more hopes and targets and aspirations, valuable though they are, but clear commitments and concrete timetables for change. We need to get real about climate change and the world needs to know when that’s going to happen," he added. 

Johnson also utilised his speech to announce an additional £1 billion of UK aid for tackling climate change over a period of five years. This would bring Britain’s aid for climate change to a “world-leading” £12.6 billion by 2025, subject to the economy growing as forecast. As per the report, the climate activists have welcomed the fresh funding by the UK for climate finance which has remained a longstanding tricky issue in the negotiations. 

Image: AP