Cop26: UK pledges £290 million to help countries prepare for climate change

The UK will kick off the final week of Cop26 with a push for the world to be ‘climate resilient’ by 2030

Concrete blocks have been put in place to prevent further coastal erosion in Mahibadhoo in the Maldives (Getty Images)

The government is pledging new funding totalling £290 million, largely to help countries across Asia and the Pacific better prepare for extreme weather and other potential changes.

Diplomats and negotiators are hoping to raise further funding pledges from other countries to add to the billions already raised from states including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the US.

Ministers from various countries are to focus on the issue on Monday with a dedicated “climate adaptation loss and damage day”.

Governments including Bangladesh, the Maldives and the Netherlands – which are expected to be among those most severely impacted by climate change as sea levels rise – are expected to attend the meeting.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK International champion on adaptation and resilience for the COP26 presidency, said: “We must act now to stop climate change from pushing more people into poverty. We know that climate impacts disproportionately affect those already most vulnerable.

“We are aiming for significant change that will ultimately contribute to sustainable development and a climate-resilient future for all, with no one left behind.”