Reports that the UK government is planning to drop its £11.6 billion climate finance pledge have raised significant alarm, and Action Against Hunger is joining calls for the government to keep its promises to tackle climate change.
According to a memorandum widely reported in the UK media, the government intends to dial back on its goal of meeting the £11.6bn target by 2026. This is partly due to budgetary constraints that have emerged as a result of the reduction of the international aid budget to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI).
The reported reneging on climate finance commitments by the UK government threatens to undermine the principle of fairness and equity in addressing the impacts of climate change.
Kate Munro, Head of Advocacy at Action Against Hunger UK said this:
“Climate change is a global responsibility, but the UK is abdicating its former leading role in tackling it. The reported rowing back of the UK government’s climate finance pledge threatens to destroy the fragile trust that the most climate vulnerable countries have built with the UK. Meanwhile, countries like Pakistan and the Philippines are reeling from intense and often repeated climate shocks, like flooding and super typhoons, which they have done little, if anything, to cause – it is a sobering fact that countries like the UK remain some of the biggest carbon emitters.
“Added to this, we know that climate change is having a real influence on ever rising hunger levels. Droughts in Somalia and intense flooding in South Sudan have laid waste to vital crop land causing mass displacement; people don’t know where their next meal will come from and small farmers – the backbone of the global supply chain – lose vital income for their livelihoods.
“The UK government has in the past made most climate financial additional to aid, and has given 0.7 per cent Gross National Income (GNI) in aid. Neither of these commitments have been met which is why they face a crisis with trying to give £11.6bn in climate finance to the most fragile states. The government must urgently honour these prior commitments and provide clear time bound plans to do so, to maintain trust with the international community. It is imperative to resume aid spending of 0.7 per cent of GNI and make climate change finance additional to money for overseas aid to show seriousness on the issue.
“With climate change disasters increasing in frequency and with 10 per cent of the global population going hungry every night, we need action now: we cannot afford to wait.”