UK must reverse aid cut to help poorer countries tackle climate crisis, charities warn

‘It’s particularly galling to see this aid cut when rich nations have failed to deliver on their promised climate finance,’ says the head of an African climate and energy think tank. Chantal Da Silva reports

Johnson chairs a session of the UN Security Council on climate and security at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in February (Getty)

The British government is being urged to reverse its overseas aid cut to ensure that poorer countries are receiving the support they need to help tackle the climate crisis.

While the UK has doubled its climate aid to £11.6bn, it has faced scrutiny after slashing its overall aid budget from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The cut to aid, charities have warned, could have a negative impact on other countries’ own efforts to combat the climate crisis.