UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addresses COP27

“Rishi Sunak’s commitment to provide finance to help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change is welcome but the UK and other rich countries are still falling far short when it comes to the amount of money that will be needed to tackle them.

“People living in the poorest and most vulnerable countries, who have done the least to cause climate change are already being pummeled by its effects. Their ability to adapt to climate change is severely limited as their economies are staggering under the weight of ballooning debt in the aftermath of COVID-19, amid global food and fuel price hikes and unrelenting climate extremes.

“It is vital that the UK steps up its global leadership by supporting the most vulnerable countries properly, but also by taking action at home to switch to renewables, invest in decarbonising technologies and reverse plans to scrap laws that protect nature.

"The litmus test for the government will come with the publication of its fiscal plan in ten days' time. Rishi Sunak needs to protect the UK’s transformation to net-zero and climate resilience from the deep spending cuts expected.”