Only a few days after it was revealed that July 2023 would be the warmest month on record, the UK government announced that it will be slashing at least £85 million ($108.5 million) in funding from its international climate projects.
According to a public impact assessment of assistance budget cuts released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the three initiatives, which are being slashed in half, cover important aspects of U.K. international climate policy.
World Resources Institute U.K. director Edward Davey stated, “The cuts would indicate a further dereliction of U.K. guidance on climate and sustainable development at a time when guidance is sorely needed in the world.” We hope the United Kingdom will change its mind and do everything in its power to uphold its obligations to the poorest and bold in climate action, at home and in world.
One of the most important aspects of the international climate negotiations is providing funding, including for programs like those that the UK has cut. However, as the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP 28, draws near, the lack of progress has become a major source of mistrust, impeding negotiations. In 2009, high-income nations pledged to provide lower-income countries with $100 billion annually to address climate change; however, they have not fulfilled this commitment to date.
The disclosures coincide with growing criticism directed at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s domestic energy plans, which include his vow to “max out” fossil fuel exploration in the North Sea in contravention of the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Paris Climate Accords. Sunak intends to stop the United Kingdom from contributing £11.6 billion toward fulfilling the yearly $100 billion climate pledge, according to a July story in The Guardian.
However, “claims that the International Climate Finance pledge is being withdrawn are false,” a U.K. government spokeswoman told Devex.
The spokesperson continued, pointing out that the UK spent more than £1.4 billion on international climate finance in 2021–2022. “The Government continues committed to investing £11.6 billion on international climate funding and we are succeeding on that pledge.”
Though it should be separate from official development assistance, international climate finance in the United Kingdom is funded by the same overstretched aid budget. This was reduced in 2021 from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP, which had a significant impact on various areas, including climate projects.
A letter from International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell to Parliament’s International Development Committee exposed how budget cuts are impacting a number of initiatives, including climate programs, despite the government’s professed intention to fulfilling its entire climate financing target.
After being slashed by 51%, the International Forest Unit will lose £38 million. Capturing carbon emissions, fostering biodiversity, and sustaining livelihoods—especially for indigenous communities—are all made possible by the world’s forests.Mitchell had previously acknowledged to Devex that the United Kingdom “needs to do more” to assist lower-income nations in adapting to the effects of climate change. Nevertheless, the Adaptation, Nature and Resilience Division is being slashed by 51%, losing £23 million. Lower-income, climate-vulnerable nations’ main goal at COP 28 is to secure additional cash for adaptation, but historically, this kind of support has not been sufficient.
Concurrently, the UK Partnership for Accelerating Climate Transitions is losing £24 million due to a 49% reduction in funding. The UK PACT initiative aims to hasten partner nations’ shift to low-carbon growth and assist aid-eligible nations in fulfilling their climate commitments. Among its initiatives are assisting Kenyan rural communities in gaining access to minigrids powered by renewable energy sources and implementing smart meter technology to lower carbon emissions in Colombia.
An even sharper increase in spending will be required in the upcoming years due to further cuts to climate funding, with a target of £11.6 billion by 2026 still in place, according to Ian Mitchell, senior policy scholar at the Center for Global Development.
As Mitchell put it: “The government should prioritize funding for adaptation and resilience, but it should adopt a broad definition to make sure the projects that have the biggest effects on the most vulnerable and impoverished can be given priority.”
According to a representative for FCDO, UK aid spending is expected to rise to £8.3 billion in the upcoming year. This money will be allocated to initiatives that safeguard women and girls, handle humanitarian crises, and assist the most vulnerable people on the planet, all while providing value for taxpayers.