Sunak says the UK is stepping up and delivering on climate commitments
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced US$2 billion contribution to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) – the biggest single funding commitment the UK has made to help the world tackle climate change.
He announced the contribution as a gathering of G20 leaders in India concluded their meeting on 11 Sept 2023.
The GCF, established by 194 countries following the Copenhagen Accord at COP15, is dedicated to supporting developing countries to reduce global emissions and helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change.
The pledge represents a 12.7% increase on the UK’s previous contribution to the GCF for the period of 2020-2023, which was itself a doubling of our initial funding to establish the fund in 2014.
At the G20 Summit the Prime Minister has called on leaders to work together ahead of the COP28 Summit this December to both reduce their countries’ own carbon emissions and support vulnerable economies to deal with the consequences of climate change.
Addressing G20 leaders, Sunak said, “The UK is stepping up and delivering on our climate commitments, both by decarbonising our own economy and supporting the world’s most vulnerable to deal with the impact of climate change.
“This is the kind of leadership that the world rightly expects from G20 countries. And this government will continue to lead by example in making the UK, and the world, more prosperous and secure.”
The UK has led international efforts to help developing countries tackle climate change, including by pledging to spend £11.6 billion on international climate finance between 2021 and 2026.
Since 2011 UK climate aid spending has helped over 95 million people cope with the effects of climate change and reduced or avoided over 68 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
This goes hand in hand with the UK’s domestic leadership transitioning to clean forms of energy. The UK has cut emissions faster than any other G7 country, with low carbon sources now accounting for more than half of our electricity. Fiinews.com
