Boris Johnson’s new Trade Secretary claimed ‘global warming isn’t actually happening’

Just last week Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who suggested the climate crisis is a myth, made a speech saying climate change should be tackled by all age groups across society

Boris Johnson’s new Trade Secretary once said “global warming isn’t actually happening”.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, former climate minister, posted a number of tweets over a course of months suggesting climate change is a myth.

In January 2012, she asked: “Will we need global warming to protect us from the overdue ice age expected in the next Millennium?”

Three months later, she posted: “We aren’t getting hotter, global warming isn’t actually happening” and tagged the former MEP Daniel Hannan who is now an adviser to the Board of Trade.

Eight weeks later, in June 2012, Ms Trevelyan said there is “clear evidence that the ice caps aren’t melting after all, to counter those doom-mongers and global warming fanatics.”

Asked if the PM was concerned he’d appointed a climate change denier in the year of COP26, the PM’s official spokesman said: “Every single member of Cabinet is united in our approach to achieve our ambitious climate target goals.”

In response, Ms Trevelyan said: “This Government is united in achieving our ambitious climate target goals.

“Having worked directly on COP26, I am proud of what we have already done to tackle climate change and embrace a greener and cleaner future, including being the first major economy to legislate for a Net Zero target by 2050 and launching a bold plan for the UK’s world-leading hydrogen economy.

“As International Trade Secretary, climate change and protecting the environment will remain a priority as I negotiate ambitious trade deals around the world.”

Climate change and international trade are interlinked, so Ms Trevelyan’s sceptical views on climate change could raise alarm bells.

Last week Britain dropped demands on Australia to sign up to climate targets in a bid to get the UK-Australia trade deal over the line.

Australia has failed to improve on its climate target set in the Paris Agreement in 2015, and demanded the language around temperature commitments be dropped, according to Sky.

Former Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the reports were “fake news”.

Greenpeace said any removal of specific temperature commitments “renders using the term Paris Agreement utterly useless”.

The organisation’s executive director, John Sauven, said: “The UK Government pledged to embed the environment at the very heart of trade, including supporting the Paris Agreement on climate and zero deforestation in supply chains.

“Signing an Australian trade deal with action on climate temperature commitments secretly removed is the polar opposite of everything Boris Johnson publicly pledged and rips the heart out of what the agreement stands for.