- UK scientists shouldn't be funded by raiding the aid budget
Responding to the UN Climate Action Summit in New York that took place on Monday, Mohamed Adow, Christian Aid’s International Climate Lead, said:
“Despite this being called the Climate Action Summit, the concrete outcomes we saw here did not match up with the demands made by science and the schoolchildren who went on strike around the world on Friday.
“The UN Secretary General was right to call it but world leaders clearly failed to live up to the platform he gave them. The few actions that have been announced are far from world changing and that is what is required.
“As Greta Thunberg told them in her opening speech, how dare they.”
He added: “It’s good to see 59 countries have signalled their intention to enhance their national pledges under the Paris Agreement by 2020. That shows there are some countries that do get the need for action and gives us reason to hope this number, and their overall ambition, will grow over the coming months.
“But time is running out for countries to drastically strengthen their commitments to reduce emissions and provide the needed finance for poor countries to adapt to the impacts of this climate crisis. Currently leaders are failing us.”
Regarding the announcements from the UK, including new funding for climate science, he said:
“It’s obviously welcome that the UK is helping to further climate science, but UK scientists should be funded from domestic budgets, not by pilfering lifesaving aid. The climate crisis requires new and additional investment, not by taking food out of the mouths of the world’s poorest people.”
