Guernsey international conference attendance 'on merit'

Guernsey politicians have faced criticism for both attending and not attending international climate change conferences. Two politicians from the island attended COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, but sent no one to last year's COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh. Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez said: "I got a fair bit of negative feedback that I wasn't at the last one. "But each trip has to be made on its own merits." She attended COP28 with Guernsey's external relations lead Jonathan le Tocq. At the conference it was announced the Paris Climate Change Agreement was to be extended to Guernsey. Mrs de Sausmarez said this move was incredibly important to Guernsey's international trade agreements.She said: "It's important we are able to demonstrate that we are able and willing to meet our international obligations, especially when it comes to our finance sector, as we are a green and sustainable finance centre." Of COP27, Mrs de Sausmarez said: "It was noted Jersey had a presence there and we didn't. "I think people on the front line of the green finance sector were not particularly happy about that." Guernsey agreed its climate change policy in 2020 setting the target to be carbon neutral by 2050 and an interim target of reducing emissions by 57% on 1990 levels by 2030. Mrs de Sausmarez said: "Our climate change policy is outward looking and includes our position as a green and sustainable finance centre." She added other jurisdictions see Guernsey as a world leader in some areas, like the island's waste strategy.