UK could play role in 'curbing China's ecological excesses', journalist tells LBC

7 July 2021, 22:26

The UK could play a role in 'curbing China's ecological excesses', journalist tells LBC

The UK could play a role in "curbing China's ecological excesses", a journalist has told LBC.

The remark was made by International Correspondent for The Independent Borzou Daragahi while on Iain Dale's Cross Question.

Speaking to Mr Daragahi, Iain began by pointing out that the UK is set to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) later this year.

Iain then asked him if there was "any prospect" of Boris Johnson persuading the Chinese government to "up their game" when it comes to tackling climate change.

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Mr Daragahi responded: "I think that the West in general, including the UK, does have a...potentially critical role in curbing China's ecological excesses in that China is a massive exporter of goods.

"And maybe people in the West need to be more responsible [consumers] of goods and be more demanding about where the products are sourced, how they're being produced [and] what means are being used to produce those."

"Perhaps there is a regulatory role that Western countries that are the big buyers of Chinese goods could take on in terms of pressuring the Chinese government and other governments as well as perhaps their own industries [to be] more responsible in terms of how they produce stuff."