Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson returned to the limelight on Monday with a speech at the Cop27 summit in Egypt, saying he opposed the idea of reparations from historic polluters such as Britain.
It came as current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pushed the door open to paying countries affected by climate damage.
The debate over compensation, or “loss and damage” in UN jargon, is likely to be one of the most sensitive subjects at Cop27.
Developing countries say losses estimated at more than $500 billion should be covered by the rich countries who caused global warming.
A minister in Mr Sunak’s government said on Monday that Britain was “supportive of discussions” on the issue.
But Mr Johnson, speaking to an audience at a side event in Sharm El Sheikh, said: “I think that whole concept is tough. Who devises the reparations?
“Let’s look to the future — that’s what I think we should be doing. I’d much rather look at what we can do to help countries go forward now.”
Mr Johnson said there was no question that Britain, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, had “put an awful lot of carbon into the atmosphere”.
“What we cannot do, I’m afraid, is make up for that with some kind of reparations. We simply don’t have the financial resources, and no country could,” he said.
“What we can do is help with the technology that I think will fix the problem, and help to build these partnerships.”
At the side event hosted by The New York Times, Mr Johnson would not be drawn into criticising Mr Sunak for his initial reluctance to attend Cop27.
“The PM’s here; I’m glad he’s here,” he said of Mr Sunak, whose resignation as chancellor of the exchequer in July was a key moment in Mr Johnson’s downfall.
But he took issue with some Conservative Party figures who have called Britain’s net zero targets into question because of the current energy crisis.
In a direct rebuke of his former adviser David Frost, who described wind power as medieval technology, he said: “I pointed out that burning oil is positively palaeolithic.”
Mr Johnson said he himself was in Sharm El Sheikh to champion the legacy of the Cop26 summit, held in Britain when Mr Johnson was in office.
Cop27 takes place in the shadow of the war in Ukraine and a quest in Europe to replace Russian gas, which has sometimes involved turning to fossil fuels.
“People have started to say we all went too far and too fast and that we’ve been naive and utopian in our rush to move beyond hydrocarbons, that we’ve inflicted needless energy costs on our populations,” Mr Johnson said.
“I believe that here at Sharm is a moment when we really have to tackle this nonsense head-on.”
World leaders at Cop27 - in pictures
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Cop27 delegates arrive in Sharm El Sheikh. AFP -
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi shake hands during the Middle East Green Initiative conference, held on the sidelines of the the UN's Cop27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. EPA -
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers a speech during the Cop27 summit. AP -
Prince Mohammed appears on a projection as he addresses leaders during the second Green Middle East Initiative summit, held on the sidelines of the Cop27 climate conference in Sharm El Sheikh. SPA -
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at Cop27. AP -
Sheikh Mohamed speaks with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah at the event. Reuters -
A sign illuminates the plenary hall at Cop27. Getty -
Sheikh Mansour, centre, visits the Bahrain Pavilion. With him is Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and chairman of Masdar. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks during the Cop27 summit. EPA -
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, participated in the second Green Middle East Initiative conference, which began on Monday in Sharm El Sheikh. WAM -
A visitor takes a picture at the Ukrainian pavilion during Cop27. Reuters -
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, right, hugs French President Emmanuel Macron during a meeting at Cop27. AP -
Sheikh Mohamed with Mr Sunak. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
A member of the Amazon indigenous delegation attends the event. EPA -
Sheikh Mohamed meets Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson poses for a selfie at the event in Sharm El Sheikh. EPA -
Mr Johnson poses for a selfie at the event. EPA -
Mr Sunak addresses delegates at the Cop27 summit. AP -
Sheikh Mohamed meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Mr Herzog delivers a speech at the summit. AFP -
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed addresses the UN's Cop27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Sheikh Mohamed attends the Cop27 summit. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Al Gore, chairman of Generation Investment Management, speaks at the climate conference. Bloomberg -
Mr El Sisi speaks during the plenary session at Cop27. Bloomberg -
Sheikh Mohamed with Mr El Sisi. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Delegates attend a session at Cop27. Bloomberg -
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at Cop27. Getty -
Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad greets King Abdullah II of Jordan during a photo session at Cop27. Bloomberg -
Mr Johnson at Cop27. AP -
Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson writes down his contact details for Mr Sunak during the Cop27 climate conference. Getty -
President Sheikh Mohamed greets Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, at the event. Getty -
President Sheikh Mohamed, Jordan's King Abdullah II, Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, Mr El Sisi, Mr Guterres, Mr Macron, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other leaders pose for a family photo during the Cop27 climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh. Reuters -
Sheikh Mohamed and King Abdullah in Sharm El Sheikh. Reuters -
Mr Scholz boards a government plane to travel to Egypt for the Cop27 summit. AP -
Sheikh Mohamed with other dignitaries. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Sheikh Mohamed with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad and other dignitaries. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
Sheikh Mohamed tours the conference with Dr Al Jaber. Photo: UAE Presidential Court -
From left, Mr El Sisi, Ms Meloni and Mr Guterres pose for photographs at the start of Cop27. EPA -
Mr Sunak meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the Cop27 summit. PA -
US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, right, at the Cop27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh. AP -
Mr Macron meets young Africans on the sidelines of Cop27. AFP -
The French president listens to young conference-goers speak at the event. AFP -
The Green Zone at Cop27. Fatima Al Mahmoud / The National -
The Green Zone aims to promote dialogue, awareness, education and commitments through events, exhibitions, workshops and talks. Fatima Al Mahmoud / The National -
It is dotted with life-size art installations, including a large panda made from recycled materials such as pieces of glass and plastic bottles. Fatima Al Mahmoud / The National -
The Green Zone will hold themed events such as Gender Day, Decarbonisation Day and Solutions Day. Fatima Al Mahmoud / The National -
It is a vast, vibrant space that offers a change of scenery. Fatima Al Mahmoud / The National -
The Green Zone is designed as a place for the business community, youths, civil societies, academics, artists and fashion experts from all over the world to express themselves. Fatima Al Mahmoud / The National -
Mr Sunak arrives in Sharm El Sheikh to attend Cop27. Getty
Mr Sunak is expected on Monday to announce a trebling of UK funding for adaptation, the UN term for preventing damage from global warming.
But the loss and damage debate — covering impacts that it is too late to prevent — will also be part of the Cop27 agenda, in an initial victory for developing countries.
African countries in particular are lobbying for compensation to address disasters that it is too late to prevent.
Rich countries have historically been wary of opening themselves up to what could be eye-watering liability claims.
But the UK’s Business Secretary Grant Shapps, speaking for Mr Sunak’s government on morning television, said Britain was open to negotiations.
“We industrialised first and we appreciate the rest of the world needs to be able to bring themselves along as well,” he said.
“There is a big international discussion going on; that’s one of the things happening at Cop27 in Egypt and we’re supportive of discussions going on.”
