UK cash fights climate change effects

UK investments in tackling climate change have helped 47 million people to cope with its effects, the government has said.

Giving the results of UK international climate finance investments, it also said this had helped to provide 17 million people with better access to clean energy.

The UK has committed to spend at least £5.8bn on international climate finance investments during 2016-21, through the departments for international development, business and environment.

Other achievements of this investment to date included the reduction or avoidance of 10.4m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – approximately equivalent to the yearly emissions of 2.5m cars – and installation of 590MW of clean energy capacity.

International development minister Harriett Baldwin said: “Extreme climates cause devastating drought and hunger, and these results reflect the immense impact UK aid is having in supporting some of the world’s poorest and most fragile countries.

“At the same time, we are helping to make the world safer and cleaner, which benefits us all here in the UK.”

Energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry said the UK had cut its own emissions by more than 40% since 1990 while growing its economy at a rate ahead of the G7, and that it wants to “share this learning through our overseas development spending”.

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