The impact of UK overseas aid on environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation

Written evidence submitted by UNICEF UK

1. Introduction 

1.1. The UK National Committee for UNICEF welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry into the impact of UK overseas aid on environmental protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

1.2. UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.

1.3. This submission will focus on the following questions:

· The extent to which UK Aid programmes address the environmental causes of poverty, and the extent to which environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation are prioritised in those programmes

· The extent to which environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation have been mainstreamed in the Government’s Aid programmes

· How the UK’s contributions to the International Climate Finance Fund will be managed

2. a) The extent to which UK Aid programmes address the environmental causes of poverty, and the extent to which environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation are prioritised in those programmes.

b)The extent to which environmental protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation have been mainstreamed in the Government’s Aid programmes

2.1 Climate change is a key issue f or all development activities. On current traject or ies, its impacts will increase even if global emissions are limited. The UK government must ensure an adequate response to it be fit f or purpose in the 21 st century.

2.2 Climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable people in the poorest countries, who are often children, despite the fact that they are the least to blame for the problem.  Recent research for UNICEF UK demonstrates the real and growing impact of climate change on children in countries such as Kenya [1] . Children are highly vulnerable to these changes, which have the potential to affect many aspects of their lives, including education, health and welfare. 

2.3 Climate change also will lead to an increase in the frequency and uncertainty of natural disasters. Investing in effective disaster risk reduction programmes is and will continue to be a key adaptation response to this to ensure the impact of these disasters do not undo or hinder progress in development in vulnerable countries.

2.4 Spending money on climate change adaptation and mitigation is theref or e an effective investment. Without this, the impacts of climate change will undo progress made toward other development goals. F or example, the recent UNDP Stocktaking rep or t on the MDGs states that without funding and action on climate change none of the MDGs will be met. We theref or e believe that UK government should lead the way in providing supp or t to long term programming to address the causes and impacts of climate change. This will prevent funding f or other key development goals being diverted as the impacts of climate change become m or e urgent, through an increase in natural disasters.

2.5 UNICEF UK welcomes DFID’s recent commitments in their Business Plan to both pri or itise climate change as a key element in all their w or k and seek to ensure 'climate compatible development' - minimising harm from the impacts of climate change and harnessing opportunities presented by the transition to a low carbon future whilst promoting poverty reduction and human development. We recommend that DFID now specifies what steps they will be taking to put this into practice.

2.6 Providing support to adaptation projects in countries vulnerable to climate change and mainstreaming adaptive strategies in countries that are likely to be affected by climate change will be a critical component of this. F or example, an increased risk of flooding can lead to an increased risk of contaminated water, which in turn could lead to the spread of waterb or ne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. However, adapting projects aimed at increasing access to water and sanitation facilities by raising them above the ground (‘step latrines’) can help prevent contamination by dirty floodwater.

2.7 Programmes by UNICEF in the Philippines have found these flood proof sanitation facilities can prevent the spread of diseases and halt potential epidemics during extreme flooding in the region [2] . DFID must theref or e maintain their supp or t f or such adaptation programmes as it will minimize the impacts of disasters, such as through the spread of disease. This could lead to reduced vulnerability in periods of natural disasters, minimizing the need f or humanitarian aid.

2.8 With increasing disparities being seen in progress toward the Millennium Development Goals [3] it is critical that we seek to minimise the impact of climate change and climate related natural disasters, particularly on the most vulnerable. Adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction play a key role in promoting equitable outcomes for all children by both protecting the most vulnerable communities against the potential risks they face as well as reducing the impact of disasters and climatic impacts when they occur. This is critical in ensuring children have their rights fulfilled and allows communities to be prepared in the face of increasing disaster uncertainty.

2.9 UNICEF UK welcomes the moves the UK government is making to mainstream climate change responses in international aid and pri or itise climate change as an international development issue. We recommend they now make clear what this shift in policy will mean f or UK development aid programming.

3. How the UK’s contributions to the International Climate Finance Fund will be managed

3.1 International climate finance is a key investment for current and future generations. Financing for climate adaptation and mitigation will ensure that children are able to enjoy a safe, clean environment and are protected from climate challenges. Climate finance will be key to ensuring that there are resources available for children to survive and thrive in a changing climate

3.2 UNICEF UK welcomes the recent establishment of the Green Fund at COP 16 in Cancun. The Green Fund will be critical for mobilising and distributing the flows of climate finance from developed to developing countries.

3.3 UNICEF UK supports the split of climate finance between DEFRA, DFID and DECC. We support the establishment of a cross department board to manage international climate finance.

3.4 After the Fast Start Funding for climate finance period is over, the UK should ensure that it delivers an ambitious level of climate finance that is sufficiently additional to ODA and is derived from innovative sources such as new taxes on the financial sector and private sector contributions. The UK should make clear its long term climate finance commitment in 2011.

3.5 The UK’s climate finance contributions should have balanced allocation between adaptation and mitigation in vulnerable countries.

3.6 The UK’s contribution to the international climate finance funds must take an equity approach, to ensure that those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change receive priority in allocation.

17 December 2010