The meeting was set in the wider context of a mass lobby by the pressure group, joined by Rev Jesse Jackson, which came to thank the Coalition Government for their work towards International Aid. They also came to call on the UK to settle a fair global deal on climate change and to call for a new international accounting standard requiring companies to report on their profits made and taxes paid in every country where they operate – so-called country-by –country reporting.
Speaking after the private meeting, Steve said: “I was delighted to meet up with some local faces in the House, especially as part of a day like today.
“I was able to confirm that the Government believes that climate change will impact hardest on poor people in developing countries, who are least able to cope, and that we have said that we are committed to helping the developing world carry out the urgent work needed to adapt to climate change, adopt clean technology and reduce emissions from deforestation.”
The UK is contributing £1.5 billion in climate finance for developing countries over three years (2010-2012). As committed by the previous government, this finance is drawn from the UK’s aid budget, which is due to rise to 0.7 per cent of UK national income by 2013. This demonstrates a major commitment by the UK – in difficult economic times – to helping developing countries tackle climate change.
UK finance for climate change is already having an impact. For example, in Bangladesh, the UK has helped to protect more than 400,000 people and their possessions from severe monsoon floods by raising 90,000 homes onto earth platforms, and in Malawi, we are supporting research to help farmers to plant more drought-resistant maize.
The UK’s climate finance contribution was made in the context of the commitment made by developed countries at the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009 to provide $30 billion (approximately £21 billion) over 2010-2012 to kick start emission reduction measures and help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change. For the longer term, developed countries committed to the goal of mobilising $100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries tackle climate change. The UK is working to identify new sources of climate finance for developing countries to contribute to this goal, including by participating in the UN Secretary General's Advisory Group on Finance.
The EU has committed to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, with the possibility to increase its target to 30 per cent in the context of an ambitious global deal on climate change. The UK is pushing for the EU to demonstrate leadership in tackling international climate change by supporting an increase in its emissions reduction target to 30 per cent.
Steve added: “As well as discussing climate change, we also spoke about global tax issues. The Government has said that it believes that effective tax systems are central to effective states, and the Coalition Government will work with developing countries to explore how they can best benefit from recent improvements in tax transparency.
“The new Government has already demonstrated its commitment to this by being among the first countries to sign an amendment to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance on Tax Matters, at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on 27 May. The amendment brings the Convention into line with latest international standards of information exchange, including information held by banks, and opens the Convention to a potentially worldwide membership.“
Country-by-country reporting requirements are currently being explored both by an OECD Informal Task Force on Tax and Development and by the International Accounting Standards Board. The Government says that it very much welcomes this work and hopes that it will be able to provide solid, practical evidence which will allow us to assess the different approaches to transparency.
Pictured; Steve met up with local Christian Aid lobbyists in the House of Commons