PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Department for International Development: Climate Change (16 January 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effect of climate change on the work of his Department; and what steps he is taking in response to that effect.

Asked by:
Darren Jones (Labour)

My department has long recognised that climate change puts development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals at risk. We contribute to the development of science and analysis on climate change to help improve global understanding of the challenge, as well as building the evidence of effective approaches to tackle it. Since 2011, our International Climate Finance has supported 57 million people to cope with the effects of climate change and given 26 million people improved access to clean energy.

It is clear that more global action is urgently needed to avoid dangerous climate change and environmental degradation. The Government is working hard to ensure the international climate negotiations in Glasgow in November are a success. Last year, the Prime Minister committed to double our International Climate Finance to at least £11.6 billion from 2021/22 to 2025/26, and we have also committed to align all UK aid with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. This means that we will be investing more in helping countries to build their capability to manage the impact of climate change already locked in and to support lower carbon development, with an increasing focus on nature-based solutions such as investing in sustainable forestry.

Answered by:
Dr Andrew Murrison (Conservative)
23 January 2020