Comment on UK ending support for fossil fuel sector overseas

Commenting on the news that the UK will end direct government support for the fossil fuel sector overseas, Dr Alison Doig, International Lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “The UK government has finally seen sense, that we need to match our action on climate change at home with an equivalent effort overseas. Climate change is a global problem which can only be delivered when all countries start to move beyond a high carbon, fossil fuelled economy. Investing instead in an international green energy transition will create new markets overseas and secure future trade and jobs for the UK; a win, win.

“The move is especially important coming as it does at the opening of the Climate Ambition Summit. As host of next year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow, UK leadership is bolstered by both this pledge and the country’s new climate target announced last week. Combined with other announcements such as China’s new climate target and a determination for ambitious climate action from the incoming Biden Administration in the US, it is possible to see the outline of how next year’s critical summit can deliver on the Paris Agreement. The UK will play a vital role in ensuring that it does.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce the ending of direct government support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas today [12th December] as he opens the Climate Ambition Summit.

Recent analysis by Climate Action Tracker suggested that new climate pledges from China, combined with President-elect Biden’s plans for renewed US action on climate change, and other net zero announcements mean that the Paris Agreement’s 1.5˚C limit remains ‘within striking distance’.