According to The Guardian, UK ministers plan to reduce climate finance for developing countries from £11.6 billion over the past five years to £9 billion in the next five, which, when adjusted for inflation, represents an approximate 40% cut in spending power since 2021.
At the UN COP29 Summit in 2024, nearly 200 nations, including the UK, committed to tripling finance to developing countries to $300 billion annually by 2035. A year later, at COP30 in Belém, developing countries emphasized the need for increased support for climate adaptation, including infrastructure such as flood defences and drought-resistant water systems. However, the outcome was limited to a reiteration of the commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035, without further advancement.
A UK government spokesperson told Euronews Green that the country is “modernising” its approach to international climate finance to focus on delivering “greater impact” and ensuring taxpayer money is used effectively. The spokesperson affirmed that the UK remains committed to providing international climate finance and is on track to deliver £11.6 billion by the end of the financial year, although the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has not confirmed whether the proposed cuts will proceed.
Experts have raised concerns about the potential consequences of reducing climate finance. Gareth Redmond-King of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit described such a move as “self-harm” for the UK, emphasizing that the country relies on imports for two-fifths of its food, much of which comes from nations vulnerable to climate extremes. He argued that cutting support would undermine trust in the UK and weaken its international influence, particularly as other nations like China step in to provide climate assistance.
The debate coincides with a DEFRA report warning that global ecosystem collapse poses a direct threat to UK national security and prosperity. The report, involving input from MI5 and MI6, highlights risks such as crop failures, intensified natural disasters, and infectious disease outbreaks. The UK’s dependence on international food and fertilizer markets makes it particularly vulnerable, with approximately 40% of its food sourced overseas.
The report further notes that biodiversity loss and climate change are among the greatest medium- to long-term threats to domestic food production, through degraded soils, loss of pollinators, and extreme weather conditions. Ecosystem collapse could stress UK agriculture, disrupt food supply, and enable organized crime to exploit scarce resources, potentially increasing poverty and migration. Rising food insecurity is likely to intensify political instability and conflict in affected regions, exacerbating both domestic and international security risks.
