Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy
Permanent Representative to the UN, at the Security Council
meeting on climate and security.
The United Kingdom sees an undeniable link between climate,
nature, peace and security in Africa – and around the world. We
were the first to bring climate security to this Council in 2007,
and we hosted the first leader level debate in 2019. So we
welcome continued African leadership on this issue under Gabon’s
presidency, and we regret that Niger and Ireland’s resolution
last December was blocked by a single veto.
As the Secretary-General has advised this Council many times
before, the impacts of climate change multiply the threats faced
by vulnerable populations.
We are seeing this play out in the drought in East Africa, and
changes in rainfall across the Sahel. Climate change is
exacerbating pre-existing drivers of insecurity, pushing these
regions into humanitarian crisis, and increased competition for
water and land, biodiversity loss, and migration are risking
conflict, food insecurity – and lives.
The Security Council can help ensure the UN system has the
mandates and capacities to integrate climate into its analysis
and response to the drivers of conflict and fragility.
President, the UK is clear that we must accelerate climate
action, deliver the Glasgow Climate Pact agreed last year, and
meet financing commitments to build resilience. We are
working to achieve this in a number of ways:
The United Kingdom made 10 commitments to Africa at COP26 – and
has started delivering on these.
In January, we announced $23 million to support 1 million people
in drought and flood-affected areas in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya
and South Sudan.
Under the ‘African Union Green Recovery Action Plan’, the UK has
funded experts in the AU Commission and enhanced capacity to
implement climate action plans across the continent.
The UK has committed £100 million to the ‘Taskforce on Access to
Climate Finance’, part of which established a new Climate Finance
Unit in Uganda’s Ministry of Finance.
And we have committed to doubling our International Climate
Finance to at least £11.6 billion up to 2026, balanced between
mitigation and adaptation.
We are also taking responsibility for our country’s impact on
climate change, as the first major economy to commit to reducing
all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
Mr. President, collectively, we cannot allow any roll back from
the commitments made in the Paris Agreement or the Glasgow Pact.
Instead, we should redouble our efforts to progress these
agreements into action, at COP27 next month and the CBD COP15 in
November. Our commitment to climate action is the basis for a
peaceful and secure world.
