Memo reveals pressure on climate finance pledge

The authorities looks acceptable to interruption its flagship £11.6bn clime and quality backing pledge for processing countries, an interior authorities papers seen by the BBC says.

The papers details however the authorities has consistently underspent and would present conflict to conscionable its 2026 target.

Some 83% of the full overseas assistance fund would request to beryllium reallocated to clime to drawback up, it adds.

The authorities has said it remains committed to delivering connected the promise.

"The authorities remains committed to spending £11.6bn connected planetary clime concern and we are delivering connected that pledge," a authorities spokesperson said.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged successful 2019 to treble the magnitude spent connected the UK's planetary clime concern (ICF) - assistance for susceptible nations to woody with the causes of clime alteration - to astatine slightest £11.6bn betwixt 2021/22 and 2025/26.

But "subsequent turbulence" - referring to economical shocks specified arsenic the Covid pandemic - means the authorities is lagging behind, the interior briefing insubstantial warns.

Overall planetary assistance spending has besides since been chopped to 0.5% of GDP, down from 0.7%.

Civil servants person calculated the authorities would person to walk 83% of the full overseas assistance fund connected clime to conscionable the ICF people by 2026, requiring a "reorientation" of the fund connected a standard which has "not antecedently been achieved".

Doing truthful would besides mean that determination would beryllium nary currency near for different priorities specified arsenic projects "specifically targeted astatine helping women and girls", civilian servants write.

It follows Tory adjacent Lord Zac Goldsmith's resignation from Rishi Sunak's authorities past week implicit what helium described arsenic the premier minister's "apathy" towards clime change.

In his scathing resignation letter, the present erstwhile curate accused the authorities of abandoning cardinal biology commitments, including spending £11.6bn of UK assistance connected clime and environment, and withdrawing its enactment connected the satellite stage.

"Indeed the lone crushed the authorities has not had to travel cleanable connected the breached committedness is due to the fact that the last twelvemonth of expenditure falls aft the adjacent wide predetermination and volition truthful beryllium the occupation for the adjacent government, not this one," helium wrote successful his letter.

Mr Sunak insisted Lord Goldsmith had discontinue aft being asked to apologise for comments helium made astir the Privileges Committee enquiry implicit the behaviour of Boris Johnson and whether helium had intentionally misled the House of Commons arsenic PM.

The ICF refers to UK assistance fixed to enactment susceptible countries to woody with the causes of clime change, including preventing deforestation and reducing c emissions, arsenic good arsenic preparing for its effects.

It forms a portion of the planetary committedness to walk $100bn a twelvemonth connected clime concern for processing countries.