Climate

Analysis: How the UK spent more than £11.6bn on climate aid since 2021

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 28/10/2026, 07:05:24 UTC.

Briefings

Carbon Brief analysis reveals the UK spent over £11.6bn on climate aid since 2021, reaching record levels of £4bn in 2025-26. However, the £12.8bn total was achieved partly by reclassifying existing foreign aid rather than new spending, with the government later committing to a reduced annual average of £2bn. The data covers 493 projects and funds between 2021-22 and 2025-26, though specific project details and full financial year breakdowns remain unavailable.

Key points

• The UK spent £12.8bn on climate aid between 2021-22 and 2025-26, surpassing its £11.6bn target through reclassification of existing foreign aid rather than new spending.
• Record UK climate aid reached £4bn in 2025-26, supporting approximately 500 projects and funds across 493 distinct initiatives since 2021.

Context

This analysis tracks UK climate finance since 2017, revealing a record £4bn in 2025-26 despite a commitment to spend only £6bn annually over three years. The data is critical for understanding the UK's contribution to UN climate goals and the discrepancy between stated targets and actual spending.

Limitations

Data covers only 2021-22 to 2025-26, with specific project details and full financial year breakdowns unavailable. The £12.8bn figure includes reclassified existing aid, and inflation adjustments are not applied to the £4bn 2025-26 figure.

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