“I’m really thrilled by the game-changing announcement that Joe Biden has made,” Johnson said, praising Biden “for returning the US to the front rank of the fight against climate change”.

“It’s vital for all of us to show that this is not all about some expensive politically correct, green act of bunny hugging,” Johnson said. “This is about growth and jobs.”

On Tuesday, Johnson said Britain would cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035 in what he hailed as the world’s most ambitious climate change target that would put the country on track to become a net-zero producer.

The new timetable, nearly 15 years ahead of the previous UK target, will require a fundamental restructuring in the way Britain powers its homes, cars and factories, how it feeds its people and what it does to dispose of carbon dioxide.