How UK cuts to climate finance could bankrupt ecosystems at home and abroad

"Last year the JIC produced a hard-hitting report which found the collapse of globally important ecosystems around the world including the potential shift of the Amazon from rainforest to savannah, the demise of coral reefs, and the loss of glaciers would threaten the UK's national security, through food shortages at home and the potential for conflict overseas."

"In normal times, this kind of stark warning would spur a swift response from cabinet. Actions to protect and restore such vital ecosystems would follow. Instead, the UK government's response has been to first suppress the report and then, rather than increase protection for ecosystems, make drastic cuts to the budgets for helping developing countries tackle nature loss and climate breakdown."

"When the UK's five-year pledge of 11.6bn in international climate finance runs out at the end of this month, the next commitment is to be more than a fifth lower only 9bn. Within the current and planned spending key programmes are to be shortened, reduced in scope or threatened with closure."

The UK's Joint Intelligence Committee produced a report identifying ecosystem collapse as a national security threat, warning of consequences including food shortages and international conflict. The report highlighted risks from Amazon rainforest degradation, coral reef destruction, and glacier loss. Rather than responding with protective measures, the government suppressed the findings and reduced international climate finance commitments from 11.6 billion to 9 billion pounds. Key environmental programs face cuts, including the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, which will shrink from six areas to two, and the Blue Planet Fund addressing plastic pollution and overfishing.

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