Tearfund response to the Queen’s Speech

 

 

“It’s not enough to see overseas development assistance simply reiterated as a Government commitment. We need to see development aid spending at 0.7% of Gross National Income made law, as laid out in last week’s Coalition Agreement. 

“It is also crucial that all money spent on development aid is only used to reduce poverty and is not further diverted away from DFID to other departments, with other existing spending dressed up as overseas aid. On top of this we want to see essential finance for climate change adaptation and mitigation which must be in addition to the 0.7% aid commitment.

 

“We welcome proposed legislation for low carbon energy which will contribute to the reduction of UK carbon dioxide emissions, but we must also see similar action internationally and urge the EU to move immediately to a 30% reduction in its emissions, on the way to 40% (on 1990 levels) by 2020.”