UK govt to drop flagship £11.6bn climate pledge

London, UK – commenting on reports that the UK government is planning to drop the UK’s flagship £11.6bn climate and nature funding pledge, Rebecca Newsom, Head of Politics at Greenpeace UK, said:  “Averting the greatest threat to life on earth depends on building trust and momentum among nations, especially around funding pledges. This leak shows the precise opposite – promises made by the UK government in the run-up to the Glasgow summit risk unravelling like thread from a cheap suit.

“The government must not turn its back on the millions around the world losing lives and livelihoods due to climate impacts that they did little to cause. Rather than u-turning on commitments and eating into the aid budget, ministers should come up with the funds needed for climate finance and loss and damage by raising taxes on fossil fuel companies – five of whom made nearly $200 billion profit in 2022 alone. The government can either show they have the political will to do the right thing now, or prove those accusing them of indifference to the climate crisis absolutely correct.”