Britain won’t hold talks with Taliban at Cop29 in Azerbaijan, confirms Sir Keir Starmer

BRITAIN won’t hold talks with the Taliban at Cop29 in Azerbaijan, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed today.

The PM said he will instead spend the opening day of the annual UN climate summit encouraging business chiefs to boost investment into the green economy.

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Against a backdrop of shadowy back-room oil deals and a guest list including the extremist Afghan government, Sir Keir and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni are the only G7 leaders to show up for the green bonanza.

In Baku the PM vowed not to pledge an extra pence of taxpayer cash to help developing countries fight climate change.

He insisted the private sector should lead the charge helping poorer states shape an environmental future.

Sir Keir said: “There is a sum of money that’s already agreed to by the last government that takes us through to 2025/26. We will honour that commitment.

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“I will be making an argument powerfully that now is the time for the private sector to start paying their fair share in relation to these commitments.”

On Wednesday the PM will set out new targets for Britain reaching zero carbon emissions.

He’s expected to ramp up Britain’s goal of a 68 per cent reduction by 2035, possibly to 88 per cent.

Sir Keir appeared to slap down Donald Trump as he hinted the incoming US President should show “global leadership when it comes to the climate challenge”.

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The President-elect, who has called climate change a “hoax”, is expected to scrap his predecessor’s environmental ambitions within days of entering the Whitehouse, leading critics to call this year’s Cop a pointless exercise.

The PM said: “I’m not going to comment on his views, I am very clear in mine which is that the climate challenge is something that we have got to rise to and that’s why I’ve repeatedly said we’ve got to show leadership.”

Sir Keir added that he views the climate challenge as a as a “huge opportunity for the UK”.

He announced a blade factory in Hull will benefit from a new £1bn offshore wind deal.