The UK government has rejected criticisms of the quarantine exemption given to climate minister Alok Sharma, saying that face-to-face meetings with foreign leaders are “key to success” in climate negotiations. The Daily Mail reported that Sharma travelled tens of thousands of miles to at least 30 foreign destinations over the past seven months to prepare for the COP26 climate conference, but did not need to quarantine on his return despite visiting seven countries on the UK’s COVID-19 “red list.” In response to the report, a government spokesman said: “Helping the world tackle the climate emergency is an international priority for the government. “Virtual meetings play a large part, however face-to-face meetings are key to success in the climate negotiations the UK is leading as hosts of COP26 and are crucial to understanding first-hand the opportunities and challenges other countries are facing in the fight against climate change.” But David Lammy, …