Charities call for climate leadership from PM ahead of UN General Assembly
Melanie May | 20 September 2024 | News
Ahead of next week’s UN General Assembly and the upcoming COP29, more than 70 civil society organisations have written to the Prime Minister calling for leadership on climate action at the assembly. They warn too that negotiations are off-track to deliver for communities on the frontline of the climate emergency.
The CSOs range from large international development and environment charities, to local groups. Among them are ActionAid, CAFOD, Global Witness, Greenpeace, Islamic Relief UK, Oxfam GB, and RSPB.
The letter is signed by Catherine Pettengell Executive Director, Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) on behalf of the CSOs, which are all listed. It states that “as the fifth largest historical emitter and sixth largest economy, the UK has both the responsibility and the capability to take far greater action on climate change – at home and overseas”.
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UK ‘not paying its fair share’
It says too: “The UK has not been paying its fair share. The previous government cut Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.7 to 0.5% of GNI and double counted ODA as climate finance. It failed to implement reasonable measures to make polluters and the wealthiest in our society pay to generate much needed additional public finance for climate action, despite Oxfam estimates that up to £23bn could have been raised in 2022 this way without unfairly costing UK households.”
More UK action needed domestically & globally
Among the actions called for, the letter says the UK must lead by example domestically, and contribute to fair financing of climate action globally. It also points out that it is currently “communities and countries that are the least responsible for causing the climate emergency that are paying with their lives, livelihoods, homes, lands, ecosystems, and futures.”
Commenting on the letter, Pettengell said:
“Today we are calling for more ambitious and fair international climate action, and urging Prime Minister Starmer to play an important role in that. Countries and communities that have done the least to cause the climate emergency must not pay with their lives, livelihoods, and futures. We have to secure agreement at COP29 on a justice-based finance goal, and with the talks locked in acrimony, a new approach from the new UK government – starting next week at UNGA – could make an enormous difference.
“We need trillions and not billions globally, and the UK must pay our fair share. But there are fair ways to generate the finance by making polluters and the wealthiest in our society pay, that do not unfairly cost UK households. As Prime Minister Starmer prepares to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, progress on climate finance ahead of COP29 must be a top priority for him and all World Leaders.”
Flossie Boyd, Senior Campaigner, Global Witness said:
“As people from Brazil, to Germany, to Vietnam struggle with extreme weather, it’s clear we need urgent action to redress climate damage. It’s disappointing to see the new government without a bold plan on our climate finance promises when frontline communities are already paying.
“As a fossil fuel power, the UK has the responsibility to take far greater action and we know that taxpayers can’t foot this bill alone – and we also know big oil’s profits could cover the damages that people are currently footing. The UK must lead in getting huge polluters like BP and Shell to pay their fair share.”
Today is a global day of action with other activities taking place around the world calling on governments from the Global North to #PayUp for Climate Finance.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.