“What I’m trying to convince people is that these things are not remote, they’re not hip, they’re not hip, they’re not nice to have and they’re not a waste of British taxpayers’ money,” he said. “This is fundamental.” The government must have a strong response to citizens’ environmental concerns, he said. “[To say that] Caring about the world is kind of awake – I find it stupid,” he added. “Nature restoration, the climate crisis, sewage in our rivers – people fundamentally care about these things.” And he continued: “If a party does not have an answer to these questions, it should not be elected.” Goldsmith was speaking to the Guardian at the Cop27 UN climate summit in Egypt, where he was trying to rally support for moves to protect forests around the world. He gave an example: “If the Congo basin [rainforest] goes, two-thirds of the rainforest goes, then agriculture goes and we’re going to see destruction on a scale that makes everything in my life look like a small fry.” Goldsmith, international climate secretary under Boris Johnson and now foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak, held up the US mid-term elections, in which the Democrats did better than expected, as an example of how right-wing parties were misreading the climate electorate. worries. “I’ve talked to people in the US who feel that the Republicans are hostile to these issues or don’t care, that they’re not in the right place for this. And there’s a view that it had an impact on the election, and I’m sure that’s true,” he said. “I have a terrible fear that the concept of culture war that has dominated the climate debate in the US could dominate here,” he added. “I am horrified by the idea.” Goldsmith, who was raised by Johnson, said of Sunak: “It would be foolish to pretend he has the same passion for the environment. [as Johnson]. But I think he gets it, he understands the danger of climate change.” “Lula changes everything,” Goldsmith said. “Brazil has gone from someone who was actively hostile to the environment – ​​not just to environmentalists, but to the environment. He also spoke such violent language to the natives.’ Lula arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday but is not due to appear publicly at the talks until Wednesday. He cannot play an official role in the talks as he does not take over the presidency until January, but his representatives met with those from other countries at Cop27. The people who live in the forests, who are often overlooked, also have a central role to play, Goldsmith said. “We know that there are no solutions to the climate crisis without nature. We cannot do this without indigenous peoples. They are at the heart of it. We need to support them – and it’s also the cheapest way [to protect forests].” The most important stories on the planet. Get all the week’s environmental news – the good, the bad and the must-haves Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He said the pact by Indonesia, the DRC and Brazil to protect their rainforests was “historic”. The three countries have some of the largest remaining areas of rainforest in the world, but are seriously threatened by logging, agriculture, palm oil, mining and oil exploration. “There is a credibility to it and a bold vision,” he said of their decision to protect their forests. “The UK helped build that vision.” At Cop26 last year in Glasgow, the UK struck a major deal to reverse deforestation among some of the world’s largest forested countries by 2030. Goldsmith wants to ensure that this initiative continues and said there are encouraging signs worldwide. He pointed to Indonesia, which is hosting a meeting of G20 heads of government this week in Bali. “Indonesia has fundamentally changed its position,” he said. “When Indonesia says it’s going to do something, it has a very good track record of doing it.” Post-Brexit trade policies should be designed to help developing countries move towards more sustainable practices, Goldsmith said, for example by reducing tariffs and other barriers to imports produced with low-carbon or environmentally sustainable methods. He has discussed with Kemi Badenoch, the new international trade minister, how this can be achieved. He gave the example of tuna from the Maldives, which is caught using sustainable fishing methods but is subject to high tariffs. Removing those tariffs would encourage sustainable production, Goldsmith said, and cited Gabon and Costa Rica as countries that have taken steps to protect their forests and natural environment but face trade barriers with the UK. Poor countries wanted trade, not aid, he added. “Trade is what’s really going to change things,” he said. “They know help isn’t going to do it.” Goldsmith warned that the UK’s pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions and provide financial aid to poor countries, made on the world stage at Cop26 in Glasgow last year, must be honored by Sunak, who was initially reluctant to attended Cop27. “Last year we made promises to so many vulnerable countries,” he said. “To break them would be to lose all credibility and respect forever.”