Recommendation 21

HM Government Not Addressed

In the Government’s response to the Dasgupta Review on The Economics of Biodiversity, the UK committed to ensure all new bilateral official development assistance does no harm to nature. It builds on the commitment we made two years ago to ensure all our aid is consistent with our climate objectives, which led us to stopping new support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas from March 2021. This announcement is a step towards the Government’s aim to integrate nature into decision making. The FCDO has made it mandatory for staff to assess both environmental impacts and opportunities when designing programmes and to ensure that steps are taken to avoid harm. Compliance is monitored through the project approval process and existing assurance systems, and we will be collating and disseminating examples of best practice. Further, from protecting mangroves in Madagascar to supporting local farmers in Brazil, Defra’s overseas development assistance programmes are already pioneering nature- based solutions which address biodiversity loss and climate change and supporting the transition to sustainable land use, bringing real and tangible benefits for climate, people and biodiversity. Finally, the Government offers grant schemes for practical projects operating in ODA- eligible countries: the Darwin Initiative that aims to protect biodiversity and the natural environment; and the IWT Challenge Fund which provides funding to practical projects around the world to tackle IWT. Since 1992, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £168 million to more than 1,162 projects across 159 countries. We are investing over £46 million between 2014 and 2022 to counter the illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening enforcement, ensuring effective legal frameworks and developing sustainable livelihoods. Together with Norway and Germany, we collectively pledged to provide US$5 billion from 2015 – 2020 to encourage ambitious action from developing countries to protect their forests and promote more sustainable patterns of land use. Defra’s contribution is expected to deliver over 500,000 hectares of avoided deforestation and the protection of associated biodiversity.