SARAH CHAMPION MP CALLS OUT FAILURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Today at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Questions (FCDO) in the Commons, Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Committee (IDC), urged the Government to better support developing countries and local communities who bear the brunt of the climate emergency.  

Despite the disproportionate impact on these countries, currently:

·        Grassroots organisations face hurdles accessing financing with just 10% to 15% of climate financing reaching local communities.[1]

·        Local stakeholders such as women and indigenous people are not included in climate financing processes.

·        Wealthy countries have failed to mobilise the full $100bn committed to support developing countries to adapt to climate change.

·        The UK’s reduction in foreign aid has severely dented confidence in the UK as a leader on climate change.

·        Donor transparency in reporting climate financing is far behind where it should be.

The UK, as host of COP26, needs to push for local communities to have direct access to funds and full and effective participation in the design and delivery of programmes. There also needs to be a concerted effort globally to improve transparency reporting and guarantee the $100bn commitment is finally honoured.

During FCDO questions, Sarah said: “It is clear that low and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change. Wealthier countries, including the UK, have so far failed to commit to the agreed $100bn climate finance promise made in Paris to address this. Evidence submitted to my International Development Committee inquiry suggests only 10 to 15% of the current climate finance available reaches the local communities who bear the brunt of this emergency.

So can I ask what steps the Government is taking to secure the $100bn before COP26 and what is the Minister doing to ensure local communities worst affected by climate change are consulted in designing programmes and can access the climate financing themselves?

Responding for the Government, Minister for Africa, James Duddridge MP said: “We’ve doubled our commitment to international climate financing to take it up to £11.6bn. That’s a big commitment to the global number but we’re asking other partners to step up and we will use events like COP26 in Glasgow and G7 to encourage others to step up as we’ve done.”

Sarah has called out the Government’s response, commenting: “I am deeply disappointed the Minister completely failed to answer my question about what the UK is doing to ensure local communities affected by climate change can access financing.

It is all well and good for the Government to increase climate financing, but the reality is they are cutting vital overseas aid as millions of people in low and middle-income countries are dealing with the devastating impacts of climate change. 

With COP this Autumn, the UK must show leadership and ensure local communities are not locked out of decision-making and can take the urgent action needed to adapt to climate change.”

[1] Gebru Jember, Representative of the Least Developed Countries Imitative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/2509/html/