The United Kingdom has counted an additional £1.7 billion ($2.15 billion) towards its £11.6-billion climate finance target without giving any more money to vulnerable developing countries, an independent watchdog has found.
In response to the review by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI), climate and development groups accused the UK government of using accounting tricks to meet its climate finance goal for the five-year period from 2021-2026 after pandemic-related fiscal pressures led it to slash its overall aid budget.
The ICAI assessment said the government had “moved the goalposts” by changing the way meeting the target is calculated and including all eligible aid such as a 30% share of humanitarian funding in the 10% of countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Reaching the £11.6-billion goal would be “challenging”, the ICAI added, with 55% of that amount still to be spent in the last two years of the commitment, including up to £3.8 billion due in the final year following a general election due this year.
Last summer, climate negotiators from developing countries told Climate Home News media reports that Britain would break its flagship international climate finance pledge were “disappointing” and undermined trust, although the government denied it would miss the goal.
In confidential government documents made public this month during a court case, civil servants again warned of “material risks” to meeting the commitment.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the ministry that oversees the aid budget, said on Thursday the government welcomed the ICAI review and confirmed the UK “remains on track” to meet its international climate finance commitment.
Countries draw battle lines for talks on new climate finance goal
Chief Commissioner Tamsyn Barton, who led the review, said the ICAI was “concerned that by altering its accounting methods and identifying existing spend as International Climate Finance to include that funding in the total, rather than providing new money, the UK is offering less additional assistance than was originally promised”.
Aid groups and opposition politicians were highly critical of the move by the Conservative government, warning it risked losing its international climate policy leadership by not providing more support for those on the frontlines of worsening extreme weather and rising seas.
“The government’s sums on climate finance simply don’t add up and this creative accounting does nothing to help people in lower-income countries – those least responsible for the climate crisis – deal with the devastating impacts they are facing,” said Chiara Liguori, Oxfam GB’s senior climate justice policy advisor.
“Instead of raiding a dwindling aid budget, the UK should be setting an example and increasing climate funding by making the biggest and richest polluters carry a fairer share of the cost,” she added.
Parliamentarian Caroline Lucas, former Green Party leader, said the accounting change would “further erode any last trust in the UK as a climate leader and country of its word”.
Growing demands on aid budget
The ICAI acknowledged that the UK aid budget had come under pressure in recent years amid escalating humanitarian crises and conflicts and the rising cost of hosting asylum seekers and refugees in Britain, particularly those fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
It also noted that media reports last year had far overestimated the share of the aid budget that would need to be used for climate change projects to meet the target.
The ICAI recommended that the government craft a detailed internal plan on how the remaining portion will be met, including through which channels, and produce an annual report to demonstrate publicly how that is being done.
It also said gender considerations should be integrated into all climate finance and tracked with a marker, which so far has covered only about half of the amount.
In addition, it urged the government to monitor climate finance for small-island developing nations, fragile and conflict-affected states, and least developed countries, after raising concerns that current spending may not be fully suited to their needs.
The accounting changes mean that more of Britain’s climate aid was translated into loans rather than grants, the review found, noting that this is less appropriate for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, many of which are highly indebted.
The FCDO spokesperson said the government would respond to the recommendations “in due course” – which the ICAI said is expected in April.
‘Playing with lives via a spreadsheet’
Tom Mitchell, executive director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, said discussions about “clever accounting by politicians” often obscured the human cost of climate change, with people in the Global South already losing their lives and incomes to weather disasters and longer-term climate pressures.
“If Britain wants to continue claiming a spot in the vanguard of the climate battle, it must do everything it can to help, and deal honestly with countries worst affected by global warming,” he said in a statement.
Zahra Hdidou, senior climate and resilience adviser at humanitarian charity ActionAid UK, urged the government to commit to new and additional climate funds in line with the urgency and scale of the climate crisis.
“No more playing with lives via a spreadsheet,” she added.
The post Aid watchdog questions UK’s climate finance accounting appeared first on Climate Home News.
Climate Change
Greenpeace delivers 47 metre-long petition with half a million signatures to Woodside HQ following major gas protest
Greenpeace delivers 47 metre-long petition with half a million signatures to Woodside HQ following major gas protest
PERTH, Monday 19 October 2026 — Dozens of Perth community members delivered a giant petition, signed by almost half a million people, to Woodside’s corporate headquarters this morning, calling on the government to save Scott Reef from Woodside’s reckless Browse gas proposal.
Dressed in sea creature costumes and hats, supporters carried one of Australia’s biggest environmental petitions to Woodside’s headquarters, and a local choir performed a ‘Scott Reef’ rendition of Angie McMahon’s iconic cover of ‘Reckless’ by Australian Crawl.
On the sidelines of the Perth Global Citizen Now event, it comes following a two day-long protest at Woodside’s Scarborough gas platform that saw activists scale and occupy the Floating Production Unit calling to “Stop Woodside’s Dirty Gas” and “Save Scott Reef”. The activists were taken from the platform by police helicopter on Sunday afternoon.
David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “Less than a day after two Greenpeace Australia Pacific activists were arrested for their peaceful protest at Woodside’s Scarborough gas platform to save Scott Reef, we are here again with another message to Woodside: half a million of us do not want your dirty gas at Scott Reef.
“Community pressure on Woodside is rising. Today we are here to show Woodside that they can’t ignore half a million people who want Scott Reef protected, not turned into an industrialised gas zone.
“Woodside can’t be trusted with our oceans. Woodside’s plans to drill up to 57 toxic wells at Scott Reef, Australia’s largest oceanic reef, putting endangered pygmy blue whales at risk, and jeopardising a nesting ground for unique green sea turtles.
“We Australians love our oceans and this is an opportunity for our governments to do the right thing, to reject Woodside’s reckless drilling plans, and save Scott Reef.”
-ENDS-
Media contact
Kate O’Callaghan on +61 406 231 892 or Emma Sangalli on +61 431 513 465
Climate Change
Greenpeace Australia Pacific activists in police custody after two-day protest against Woodside’s Browse gas project at Scott Reef
PERTH, Sunday 18 October 2026 — Two Greenpeace Australia Pacific activists are in police custody after occupying a gas platform at Woodside’s Scarborough gas project, in peaceful protest of the fossil fuel corporation’s plans to drill for oil and gas at Scott Reef.
NEW footage and photos of the peaceful protest available here and on Instagram
The activists used specialised climbing equipment to scale and attach themselves to a Floating Production Unit (FPU), a key piece of gas processing infrastructure at the Scarborough gas field over 200km off the coast of Exmouth, at around 05:45am AWST on Saturday and proceeded to occupy the platform for two days, displaying banners reading “Stop Woodside’s Dirty Gas. Save Scott Reef.”
Special police forces landed a helicopter on the FPU at around 11:30am AWST. The activists safely removed themselves from their equipment before being taken into police custody around 1:00pm AWST. At the time of writing, no charges have been laid.
David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “It takes guts and conviction to do what our activists have done, peacefully protesting Woodside’s reckless gas plans at Scott Reef.
“Woodside’s plans to drill up to 57 toxic wells at Scott Reef are outrageous. If allowed to go ahead Woodside would turn Scott Reef, Australia’s largest oceanic reef, home to nesting green sea turtles and elusive pygmy blue whales, into an industrial gas zone. Around half a million people have called on our governments to stop Woodside and to save Scott Reef.
“Our activists are highly trained and experienced in these activities. West Australia has a proud history of peaceful, democratic protest at sea, to protect our oceans from environmental threats. From whaling in Albany in the seventies, to Woodside’s threat to Scott Reef today, there’s more than fifty years of history, of Greenpeace taking action off WA’s coast to protect the places we love.
“Peaceful protest has long been part of what has given us so many of the things that are great about Australia and is part of the fabric of our democracy and our national identity.”
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to a healthy democracy. From Australia to the Arctic and the Amazon, Greenpeace has been peacefully protesting for more than 50 years to expose the biggest environmental threats around the world. We will not be silenced by corporations like Woodside who actively try to stop everyday people from speaking out against their reckless plans.
“Woodside’s reckless proposal to drill at Scott Reef is an unacceptable risk to Scott Reef and to the climate, which our government should emphatically reject.”
Speaking from the Rainbow Warrior, Captain of the Rainbow Warrior Hettie Geenen, said:
“It felt powerful watching from the Rainbow Warrior as these brave activists scaled Woodside’s enormous and imposing gas infrastructure, which has no place at Scott Reef. We are all out here because we feel an urge to act, in the face of Woodside’s grave threat to Scott Reef and to our climate. Now we ask for the Australian government to act too, and reject Woodside’s reckless Browse project.
“Just before this peaceful protest, the Rainbow Warrior sailed to Scott Reef, where our whole crew got to witness the magic of an untouched, healthy reef ecosystem full of marine life. It was my second time visiting Scott Reef with the Rainbow Warrior. When you see Scott Reef up close and witness its magic first hand, it is impossible not to feel driven to try and protect it.”
The activists sailed to Scarborough on the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace’s flagship vessel, which is in the region campaigning to protect Australia’s oceans, including Scott Reef.
-ENDS-
Media contact
Greenpeace Australia Pacific media team in Perth on +61 406 231 892 or +61 407 581 404 or email media.au@greenpeace.org
Climate Change
GREENPEACE GAS PROTEST DAY TWO: Activists spend first night on Woodside’s Scarborough gas platform, “in this for the long haul”
- NEW footage and photos available here and on Instagram – more being uploaded today.
- Interviews available with campaigners on board the Rainbow Warrior on request.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific activists have slept overnight on Woodside’s Floating Production Unit and dropped a massive 12×14-metre banner reading “Stop Woodside’s Dirty Gas. Save Scott Reef”.
Two activists have set up temporary hanging tents on the South East pillar, while the other two returned to the Rainbow Warrior late yesterday afternoon, after fulfilling their initial role. The activists will occupy the platform for as long as possible.
The environmental advocacy group is peacefully protesting Woodside’s plans to drill for oil and gas at Scott Reef as part of its Browse proposal.
Sakyo Noda, one of the Greenpeace Australia Pacific activists, said: “As a Japanese person living in Australia, I feel incredibly passionate about stopping Australia’s gas exports to Asia.
“Despite what the gas industry tells us, Australia’s gas is not helping to decarbonise Asia. It is simply not true. We shouldn’t be allowing fossil fuel companies like Woodside to extract new fossil fuels, let alone at extraordinary places like Scott Reef”.
Aboard the Rainbow Warrior, Geoff Bice, WA Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, added, “Everyone is in good spirits. We’re in it for the long haul.”
Links:
Photos and video of Scott Reef here
Audio and footage of yesterday’s press conference here
Content and live updates will be uploaded to a live blog and Instagram
In-person interviews in Perth with David Ritter, CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, can be organised. Dial-in, SimSat and Zoom interviews with Geoff Bice, WA Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, currently aboard the Rainbow Warrior, can be organised.
Greenpeace delivers 47 metre-long petition with half a million signatures to Woodside HQ following major gas protest
Dictators
Greenpeace Australia Pacific activists in police custody after two-day protest against Woodside’s Browse gas project at Scott Reef
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