IDC to hold first evidence session in climate finance inquiry
The International Development Committee will open its inquiry into the UK's International Climate Finance (ICF) with evidence from activists, grassroots-level organisations, and academics.
ICF plays a crucial role in fulfilling the UK’s obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement, but is coming under pressure with major cuts to Official Development Assistance by successive governments and competing demands on UK aid.
The first session of the inquiry will set the scene by exploring the impact of climate change on local communities, including in Kenya and Bangladesh.
MPs will ask the first panel about the type of UK climate finance that they have received, the process for securing this, the barriers that grassroots-level organisations typically encounter when accessing climate finance and the benefits of locally-led approaches to climate action.
Meeting details
The second panel will discuss developing countries' vulnerability to climate change and the common challenges they face.
The Committee will also explore how the UK can maximise the impact and effectiveness of its climate finance with constrained resources, and it will consider the importance of gender equality and the inclusion of marginalised groups in the design, planning, and implementation of UK-funded programmes.
The UK Government was recently on track to achieve its £11.6 billion ICF spending target by March 2026, but the Independent Commission for Aid Impact highlighted that reaching the target was dependent on changes to accounting methodology to dilute the ICF target.
It comes as the government is now preparing to renew its commitment for the 2026-27 to 2030-31 period but is yet to make any announcements regarding how much will be committed.