Commenting on the news that the UK will be scrapping its £11.6bn climate pledge, Sophie Rigg, ActionAid UK's Head of Policy and Research, Climate and Humanitarian, said:
"The Prime Minister’s reneging on our climate finance commitment lays bare the UK’s lack of integrity and failure to act as a global leader on climate, just two years after hosting COP26. Sticking your head in the sand and willing climate change away is a deadly mistake, we must fight this crisis with finance and brave leadership.
"Breaking this commitment to spend £11.6 billion on adapting the planet to the impacts of climate change is an enormous breach of trust for the countries already facing the devastating impacts of the climate crisis.
"The UK has reaped financial rewards from its high-polluting economy over the past century and has a historical responsibility to address climate change. Instead of taking much-needed development funds and robbing Peter to pay Paul, we need new and additional climate funds that recognise the scale of this crisis.
"At a time when trust in global climate negotiations is at an all-time low, the UK’s failure to keep its promises is putting the entire future of the COP process at risk."