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Keir Starmer insisted it was 'full speed ahead' in the green energy 'revolution' on Wednesday – as he jetted off on a 12,000-mile round trip to the Amazon to reiterate his commitment to Ed Miliband's Net Zero plans. The Prime Minister pledged to 'show UK leadership' on the world stage as he arrived at the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil. But the Tories questioned why Sir Keir and Energy Secretary Mr Miliband needed to fly halfway around the world to give 'moral lectures' while many leaders are giving the summit a miss. The PM was accompanied by a large Government delegation, but officials would not say how many civil servants were attending. Labour's London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and West Yorkshire counterpart Tracy Brabin were also flying to Rio de Janeiro for local leader summits. While the Tories have said they will bin climate change laws, and Reform has vowed to axe all Net Zero policies, a defiant Sir Keir said he had not changed his mind on his clean energy ambitions. 'It's full speed ahead in our mission to bring about the clean power revolution – delivering energy security, getting bills down for good and generating growth in communities across the UK,' he said. 'I won't let down future generations. At COP30 I will continue to show UK leadership on the world stage... to stand up for our values and our future.' Earlier this week, Sir Keir acknowledged that the summit would be a 'challenge' as many world leaders, including the USA and China, abandon climate change goals. Speaking to sixth-form pupils in Downing Street, he said: 'I've thought climate change has been our biggest challenge as a species for a very long number of years. 'I haven't changed my mind because some other people have changed their minds. It's very important we go and we show that leadership.' He said his delegation will travel to COP30 with young people 'first and foremost in our minds'. But Tory energy spokesman Claire Coutinho said Mr Miliband's policies were putting off other countries rather than encouraging them. 'Countries aren't persuaded by Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband flying halfway around the world to give them moral lectures – they are persuaded by prosperity,' she said. 'Ed Miliband's mad energy policies are locking Britain into sky-high energy bills for decades and destroying economic growth. 'He is making us a warning, not an example, to the rest of the world.' Sir Sadiq and Ms Brabin travelled to Rio de Janeiro for the C40 World Mayors Summit, with voters on social media questioning why they were trying to save the climate by 'flying 5,000 miles' and asking why they couldn't have joined the meeting virtually. The consensus on tackling climate change has started to splinter across the world, with many championing fossil fuels once more. President Donald Trump has vowed to 'unleash' oil and gas drilling, with the US urging the UK to drill for oil in the North Sea. Sources said officials were limiting the size of the UK delegation in Brazil to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.
