A week after the announcement, the government remains unable to clarify how the budget cut will affect international climate finance—a critical component of the U.K.’s green diplomacy. This funding supports developing nations in transitioning to cleaner energy and adapting to climate change’s effects.
“It’s too early to say,” Energy Minister Philip Hunt admitted in the House of Lords on Monday when questioned about the issue. He deferred to the government’s upcoming spending review, scheduled for June, where more details may be provided.
Last year, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband pledged that the U.K. would step up and lead on global climate action. However, government officials declined to confirm to POLITICO whether Downing Street had consulted Miliband or his department before implementing the cuts.
Miliband plays a key role in representing the U.K. at international climate summits and shares responsibility with Foreign Secretary David Lammy for advancing Britain’s global net-zero strategy. His department had the fifth-largest foreign aid budget in the U.K. government, spending £440 million in 2023.
“This decision came straight from Number 10,” said Nick Mabey, CEO of the E3G climate think tank and a former adviser to several U.K. governments. “It was a high-level political move.”
On Wednesday morning, Parliament’s cross-party International Development Committee strongly criticized the budget cut, warning of its negative impact on global efforts to reduce poverty, inequality, and climate change.
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