COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma visits summit partner Italy

• Mr Sharma to meet Italian President and ministers
• Italy is the UK’s partner for hosting crucial COP26 climate summit
• Visit marks the next step on the President-Designate’s work with countries to make COP26 a success

Mr Sharma is expected to meet senior government figures including the President of the Senate Maria Casellati and Ecological Transition Minister, Roberto Cingolani, as well as young climate activists and international organisations such as the International Fund For Agricultural Development.

During his visit, Mr Sharma will underline how important the UK and Italy’s close relationship is, as we work as partners to make COP26 and our G7 and G20 Presidencies a success for climate action.

The President-Designate has been travelling extensively ahead of the summit in Glasgow this November. He has been taking the Presidency’s four goals for COP26 across the world: limit warming to 1.5 degrees, adapting to protect communities and natural habitats, mobilising climate finance and working together to accelerate action.

In Italy he will make it especially clear how vital it is to support countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This means making progress towards reaching the annual commitment developed countries made to raise $100bn in climate finance each year.

Ahead of the trip, COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said:

“I am immensely grateful to our COP26 partners Italy for the close relationship we have built together as we work towards a successful outcome from the summit in Glasgow this November.

“Both our countries recognise how urgently the world needs to act if we are to keep the chance of warming to 1.5C alive and protect our planet and people from the intensifying impacts of climate change.

“As hosts of the G7 and G20 respectively, the UK and Italy have a unique opportunity to demonstrate global climate leadership this year, and I look forward to meeting a range of ministers, organisations and climate negotiators.”

Notes to editors:

The COP26 President Designate will be in Rome from Monday 10 May to Tuesday 11 May

Other recent travel includes Denmark, Japan and the Vatican City.