Keir Starmer’s leadership under pressure as 82 NGOs gang up on him

82 organisations have come together to write an open letter to Keir Starmer calling on the Labour Party government to set an ambitious fourth round of UK international climate finance (ICF4) in June’s Comprehensive Spending Review. They also want it to introduce measures to generate the new public finance needed for this by fairly taxing the largest polluters and wealthiest in our society.

Keir Starmer: under pressure again over the climate crisis

The letter, first covered by the Guardian, says “As the fifth largest historical emitter and sixth largest economy, the UK has both the responsibility and the capability to take far greater action on climate change – at home and overseas” and refers to the “unbearable injustice” of “communities and countries that are the least responsible for the climate [crisis]… paying the cost with their lives, livelihoods, health, homes, lands, ecosystems, infrastructure, and futures.”

The letter to Keir Starmer acknowledges “the challenging public finance environment for this Comprehensive Spending Review, and the multiple demands on limited public finance” but highlights that there are fair ways that up to £115bn of new public finance could be generated over the next five-years for climate action at home and overseas through taxation measures that would deliver substantial benefits to the UK and according to polling are popular with the public.

Moreover, the NGOs cite polling findings that 82% of UK adults agree it is wrong for oil and gas companies to make record profits without taking responsibility for the damage caused by their activities, and another poll that found 64% of the UK public support increasing taxes on the wealthiest individuals to fund climate action and three quarters support increasing taxes on businesses that produce the most emissions.

Take action, now

Catherine Pettengell, Executive Director of Climate Action Network UK (CAN-UK) said of the letter to Keir Starmer

Climate action is in everyone’s interests, for stability and prosperity at home and all around the world. The UK has demonstrated leadership with its NDC, but domestic action alone is not sufficient. The real test of UK climate leadership is the provision of climate finance to those least responsible but suffering the most devastating impacts of climate change. As the fifth largest historical emitter and sixth largest economy, the UK has both the responsibility and the capability to do far more to invest in the climate action needed and to ensure no-one is left behind in the domestic and global transition.

That is why more than 70 UK organisations wrote to the Prime Minister today urging him to significantly increase international climate finance to low- and middle-income countries and pay for it by implementing fair taxes on the wealthiest and largest polluters that can generate billions of pounds a year for climate action at home and overseas through measures that do not unfairly cost UK households.

Climate action is about investing in a better future for all. One where nature is restored and where people have better lives, everywhere.

Featured image via the Canary