Foreign office cut climate diplomacy budget by 39%, ahead of crucial summit for climate deal in Paris, RTCC reports The UK is slashing its climate change diplomacy budget even as global efforts intensify to reach a deal. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) cut spending on its core climate change activities by 39% over the past three years, figures show. This reduces the UK’s capacity to influence other countries’ positions on climate action in the run-up to the global deal expected in 2015. Newly appointed foreign secretary Philip Hammond is seen as less interested in climate change than his predecessor William Hague, meaning the trend is likely to continue.

Tom Burke, a former advisor to the FCO, said the government “has cut its capacity to get a better deal for the world in half”. “Until 2010, the UK government was playing a leading role in shaping the global debate on climate change. There was a growing awareness of the importance of climate change as a core national interest,” said Burke. “Since 2010, the foreign office’s role in that has been cut.” The extent of the cuts was revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by RTCC

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