A group of 92 charities and other organisations are calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to honour a government promise made in 2019 to plough £11.6bn funding into tackling climate change.
The members of coalition Climate Action Network UK have written to Sunak amid concerns he will drop the pledge due to fiscal burdens from the Covid 19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Signatories from charities are across climate, nature global aid and disability inclusion sectors, including Bond, Action Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children and WWF-UK.
They are concerned the government will abandon the funding commitment for the next five years, up to March 2026.
At the COP27 climate conference last November the group reminds Sunak that he said “it is morally right to honour our promises, but it is also economically right too”.
But they’re concerned that “it is reported that your government may break its promise on climate finance”.
“Climate finance is not a handout, but a debt we owe to countries and communities that have been made vulnerable to climate change, while the UK has benefited from burning fossil fuels,” states their letter.
“We have a historical responsibility to address the harm caused and to play a leading role in financing a global just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels and towards resilience. This is not aid and climate finance should not have come from the ODA budget in the first place. It is also in the UK’s enlightened self interest to prevent further climate breakdown.
“The UK’s credibility on the global stage now hangs in the balance, and we urge you to demonstrate how the £11.6bn will be met and live up to your own words from COP27.”
‼️ BREAKING ‼️
— Climate Action Network International (CAN) (@CANIntl) July 7, 2023
Over 90 🇬🇧 civil society groups tell @RishiSunak to 'Keep The Promise' on climate finance 💷💷
Statements from @CANIntl and @CAN_UK_ 👇🏽https://t.co/oH1CdvzY2z https://t.co/7d2friPXet pic.twitter.com/jI7q1Ajy4R
Other charities to sign include World Vision UK, Tearfund, UNICEF UK, Greenpeace and Christian Aid.
“Today’s letter from more than 90 civil society organisations in the UK demonstrates the strength and breadth of support for UK climate finance,” said Climate Action Network UK executive director Catherine Pettengell.
“This government must not turn its back on countries and communities least responsible for the climate crisis but suffering its worst impacts. True leadership means taking responsibility for the UK’s historical emissions and the wealth that has generated and giving back fairly, to secure a better future for everyone.”
Oxfam International climate policy lead Nafkote Dabi added: “At a time where climate finance needs are rapidly accelerating, it is distressing to hear that the UK may backtrack on its self-imposed pledge.
“The UK considering revising their climate finance commitments critically undermines trust in international climate cooperation at a time where it is already hanging by a thread. Predictable climate finance is a lifeline for people living through climate-fuelled crises, and is essential to enabling a fast and just transition away from fossil fuels.
“Without it, there is no way we will collectively avoid catastrophic climate change. To restore trust, the UK should quickly set out a plan for how climate finance will be spent before the end of 2026 – as it originally committed to.”
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