Labour will honour a pledge of £11.6bn in overseas aid for the climate crisis, the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, told an unusual meeting of Cop presidents past and present on Friday, as he sought to re-establish the UK at the heart of international climate discussions.
As the Labour government prepares for this year’s climate-emergency summit in November, Miliband hosted Mukhtar Babayev, the Azerbaijan government minister who will lead Cop29, and Ana Toni, the top official on the climate for Brazil, which will host Cop30 in the Amazonian city of Belem in 2025 in a meeting to discuss what steps are needed to make a success of the next two UN climate Cops, as the “conferences of the parties” under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are known.
Unusually, Alok Sharma, the former Tory cabinet minister who presided over the widely praised Cop26 summit held in 2021 in Glasgow, was also present.
Miliband committed to honouring the overseas aid pledge, although there are concerns that it will be “challenging”. The pledge was made by Boris Johnson before Cop26 in Glasgow, but he and his successors as prime minister were slow to disburse the promised funds, and in February the government’s aid watchdog found that 55% of the pledge remained to be spent, making the target “challenging” to meet.
The Tories were preparing to ditch the pledge, according to the former minister Zac Goldsmith. But Miliband said it was vital for countries stricken by climate disaster to be assured of funds from the developed world, and for rich countries to show leadership, if the world is to avoid the worst ravages of climate breakdown.
Miliband said: “We are almost at the halfway point in this critical decade to halt climate change, and the case for urgent and unified global action is greater than ever. We must lead by example with action starting at home – which is what we are doing through our bold 2030 clean power mission, our commitment not to issue new oil, gas or coal licences, and our £11.6bn commitment to international climate finance, sending a powerful signal to the world that we are serious about the leadership role the UK can play in driving global climate action.”
Developing countries and civil society experts welcomed the affirmation. Mohamed Adow, the director of the Power Shift Africa thinktank, said: “This move will be warmly welcomed by developing countries. The UK used to be seen as a credible leader on climate change around the world but sadly that has been lost in recent years. The new government needs to recognise its responsibilities on the global stage and delivering its climate commitments is essential if the world is going to properly tackle the injustice of the climate crisis.”
Harjeet Singh, the global engagement director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative, said: “This confirmation is a welcome step forward. As one of the largest historical polluters, the UK bears significant responsibility to contribute its fair share in supporting developing nations.”
Babayev, who faces the task of chivvying developed countries into upping their climate finance commitments from billions to trillions, welcomed the pledge. “We thank the UK for its commitment to demonstrate leadership this year – as the host of Cop26, the UK understands well the critical importance of Cop29 for global climate action.”
Toni also called on the UK to set out a strengthened target on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. “As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the UK’s commitment to systems transformation towards clean energy and green finance is both symbolic and crucial,” she said.
The two future Cop presidents met Miliband at Lancaster House in London and separately met King Charles, who held a reception for businesses and climate advocates at Clarence House. The King attended the Cop28 summit in Dubai last year, but was prevented from attending the previous conference by Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. It is not yet known whether he will attend Cop29, though he is likely to be invited to Cop30.
Sultan Al Jaber, the president of Cop28 in Dubai last year, met the King at Clarence House but did not meet Miliband.
Developing countries also want assurances that more aid will be forthcoming after 2026, however. Catherine Pettengell, the executive director of Climate Action Network UK, said: “The UK must urgently rebuild credibility on the global stage, and particularly with our partners in low and middle-income countries suffering the worst impacts of climate change. At a minimum this means fulfilling the existing UK commitments, as well as going beyond this as soon as possible.”
