Cutting UK's £11.6bn climate commitment proposed by Sunak
UK Government's Potential Climate and Nature Funding Cuts Sparks Outrage
The UK government is facing criticism and outrage from various parties following reports that it is considering dropping its £11.6bn climate and nature funding pledge. This decision, if confirmed, could have significant implications for the UK's international reputation and its commitments to combating climate change.
The £11.6bn pledge, made in 2019, was aimed at doubling international climate finance by 2026. To meet this target, government officials calculated that it would require spending 83% of the Foreign Office's official development assistance budget on the international climate fund. This allocation, it is argued, could "squeeze out room for other commitments such as humanitarian and women and girls."
The potential decision to drop the UK's contribution to a global $100bn a year commitment to developing countries is outlined in a leaked briefing note to ministers. The note suggests that factors such as Ukraine and debt relief could make it even more difficult to meet the funding target.
The climate and nature funding, which was doubled to £11.6bn between April 2021 and March 2026, has been used to fund projects such as building renewable energy, creating low-pollution transport, and protecting forests in sensitive areas globally. The government spent £5.8bn on such projects over the previous five years up to 2021.
Former Foreign Office minister Zac Goldsmith has criticized the potential decision to drop the funding pledge, stating it would "shred" the UK's international reputation. Goldsmith, along with other former ministers and representatives of vulnerable countries, has expressed fury over the potential decision.
The disclosure of the plan to potentially drop the funding pledge has provoked fury from various parties. Former minister Liz Truss, who resigned from the Foreign Office in 2022 and accused Rishi Sunak of having an apathetic attitude towards the environment and climate protection, has also expressed her disapproval.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing accusations of betraying populations vulnerable to global heating. The prime minister has cut international aid spending to 0.5% of gross national income since the funding pledge was announced, a move that has been criticized by many.
£3bn of the doubled funding is earmarked for protecting and restoring nature to meet commitments made in Cop15 last December. Meeting the £11.6bn target by the deadline would be a "huge challenge" due to new pressures, including help for Ukraine being included in the aid budget.
The majority of the climate fund's allocated money is set to be spent by 2026, due to underutilization of funds in previous years. Despite this, the potential decision to drop the funding pledge has raised concerns that the UK may not meet its commitments to international climate finance.
This news comes at a time when the UK is hosting the COP26 climate change conference, further emphasizing the importance of the UK's commitment to climate finance. The conference aims to galvanize global efforts to combat climate change and keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen whether the UK government will indeed drop its climate and nature funding pledge. However, the outcry from various parties suggests that such a decision would not be met with approval.
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