Star comment: We mustn't get left behind on climate efforts
The day after the Met Office predicted regular 40C summers in the UK, another report says July is the hottest month we have ever experienced.
Ironically, of course, it has been rotten weather in the UK, but our poor weather is also a symptom of a change in weather patterns that has brought intense heat in Europe, Asia and North America.
This is a global issue. There has been much debate in the UK about how quickly green measures should be brought in. It has now become a political issue and the danger is that we slip into the same situation as the US and the likes of Brazil, where green policies are seen as the bastion of the left.
We must not allow that to happen, too much is at stake and our ability to negotiate credibly will be lost if there is a race to the bottom on environmental safeguards.
The UK has largely seen a consensus across the political spectrum and the UK should see greening our economy as an opportunity to be a world-leader in sectors such as wind power, nuclear, and battery manufacturing.