Tag: 2023

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 December 2023.

At COP28, G7+ countries and Ukraine launched the Clean Energy Partnership, to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

Last winter, Ukraine survived the months-long onslaught of Russian attacks on its integrated energy system, thanks to the brave efforts of the Government of Ukraine, Ministry of Energy, energy companies and the Ukrainian people, and with support from the international community. As Russia continues its unrelenting attacks on energy infrastructure, we, the members of the G7+ Coordination Group in support of Ukraine’s energy system and the Government of Ukraine continue to firmly condemn Russia’s actions and demand that all those implicated in these attacks be held responsible. We commit to continue to support Ukraine with significant emergency assistance to help repair and stabilise the energy grid and prepare for this winter. Over €300 million in funding has been provided to the Energy Community’s Ukraine Energy Support Fund for the restoration and protection of Ukraine’s critically damaged energy infrastructure. Members of this group are also supporting the provision and procurement of a least 65 high voltage autotransformers and 6 mobile gas turbine generators so far. We will continue to stand with Ukraine in the face of Russian attacks, and in their aftermath.

At the June 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, this group committed to develop a Clean Energy Partnership to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

At COP28, we are pleased to formally launch the new, expanded Clean Energy Partnership, in recognition of Ukraine’s recent progress on key reforms in the energy sector, and significant investments from international partners in Ukraine’s clean energy future.

This Partnership brings together the Government of Ukraine, bilateral donors, key international organisations and financial institutions and voices representing the private sector.  Following  the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, we are proud to welcome the following new partners to the Clean Energy Partnership: the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, whose $2 billion Economic Resilience Action platform is already investing in Ukraine’s green, resilient reconstruction; the UN Global Compact’s Ukraine Energy Initiative, which will act as a voice for its private sector signatories within the Clean Energy Partnership; and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which aims to support Ukraine’s transition to a sustainable energy future by mobilising green investment.

With these additional partners, we collectively reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine’s goal of building a resilient, efficient, more decentralised and smart energy system fit for a Net Zero future and with greater integration with Europe thereby also linking Ukraine’s energy reconstruction to its EU accession path and EU energy and climate policy. This group will continue to seek to help Ukraine meet its climate objectives in line with the Paris Agreement while strengthening Ukraine’s energy security and supporting a clean energy transition. The Partnership continues to complement existing bilateral energy partnerships between G7+ members and Ukraine.

All members recognise the importance of highlighting progress made on reforms to showcase Ukraine’s investment potential. We would like to congratulate the Government of Ukraine for making progress on reforms, not only in ensuring its citizens have security of supply and access to energy during the war of aggression, but also supporting the private sector’s role in Ukraine’s future recovery and reconstruction. These include:

• passing new legislation to attract investment in low carbon energy and promoting the development of small, distributed generation, with a special focus on renewable energy
• passing legislation to develop energy storage systems
• progress towards the full adoptions of REMIT (regulation on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency)
• progress made to liberalise wholesale energy tariffs
• progress in the corporatisation of state-owned enterprises including Energoatom, as well as the implementation of a proper corporate governance system for the gas transmission system operator of Ukraine

We encourage close coordination in the development of the ‘Ukraine Plan’ and the reforms necessary for Ukraine’s EU accession process. As highlighted in the World Bank Group’s recent report ‘Private Sector Opportunities for a Green and Resilient Reconstruction in Ukraine’, concerted reform efforts will create significant opportunities for the private sector to drive a green and resilient reconstruction and could generate $169 billion in private financing. We support the key recommended interventions outlined in the report that are projected to increase the share of private financing to address the needs outlined in the World Bank’s Ukraine Rapid Damage Needs Assessment:

• further electricity market liberalisation
• reduce household electricity costs through energy efficiency and energy saving, development of decentralised renewable energy generation and social support
• launch auctions for electricity from renewable energy
• gradual transition to cost-recovery tariffs with incentives to switch to efficient and decarbonised district heating
• allow commercial financing of, or gradual private participation in, state-owned enterprises without compromising energy security
• allow private participation in construction of independent high voltage lines and modernization of district heating systems

To support the transparent reporting and assessment of reforms in the energy sector, the Clean Energy Partnership would like to acknowledge the efforts of: IFC2, the Energy Community Secretariat, UN Global Compact and DiXi Group to monitor progress on reforms.

Alongside its reform efforts, we also congratulate the Government of Ukraine, and in particular the Ministries of Energy, Restoration and Economy on progressing efforts that will realise a pragmatic green and resilient recovery. These include finalising their 2050 Energy Strategy, and its commitment to developing a comprehensive implementation plan; making renewed progress on the National Energy and Climate Plan; completing several full feasibility studies in wind, solar, Bioenergy, geothermal energy production and supporting the development of electric vehicles and energy storage; and developing a new decarbonisation fund with consultation on design from IRENA. We applaud the Government of Ukraine’s continued commitment, despite the ongoing war of aggression, to phasing out state-owned coal power plants by 2035.

The Clean Energy Partnership is supporting these efforts by providing grants, guarantees, technical support and expertise in a coordinated way that reinforces the Government’s efforts to integrate with regional energy markets, harness private finance, and support the adoption of cutting-edge clean energy innovations. This group has collectively committed substantial financial support to help lay the foundations for a cleaner and more secure energy system and serve as a catalyst for Ukraine’s economic recovery.

The Clean Energy Partnership will serve as a forum for discussion, coordination and knowledge sharing to help deliver support for recovery, drive reforms and harness the private sector in Ukraine’s clean energy transition. The members of Clean Energy Partnership will continue to support Ukraine’s efforts for immediate, medium, and long-term recovery and reconstruction of the energy sector.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 December 2023.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Ministry of Defence statement in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants.

A UK government spokesperson said:

The United Kingdom condemns the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants.

As we’ve previously stated, Iran has long provided military and political support to Houthi militants and it bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies and partners.

These waters are vital routes for global trade and incidents like these show the importance of the Royal Navy’s presence in the region, which we announced last week would be bolstered by the additional deployment of HMS Diamond to join HMS Lancaster.

The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping in the region, including through our contribution to the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 December 2023.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Foreign Secretary David Cameron outlined how the UK must build up defences, stay close to partners, and reach out to new allies.

In the last fortnight, I’ve stood in a bombed out cathedral in one of Ukraine’s most beautiful cities and watched as brave Ukrainian soldiers kiss families goodbye as they left for the front to fight Putin’s illegal invasion.

I’ve walked through an Israeli Kibbutz where parents were slaughtered in front of their children. I’ve listened to stories of families whose loved ones have cruelly been taken hostage by Hamas, and heard testimony from British citizens fleeing the bombardment of Gaza.

There have been warnings that Iran could escalate the conflict in the Middle East through their proxies like Hizbollah in Lebanon or the Houthis in Yemen.

And I’ve seen briefings that make clear the risks of cyber attacks and industrial espionage, whether they are coming out of China, Russia or North Korea.

Always, the conclusion I reach is the same.

It is hard to recall in recent memory a time of such danger and uncertainty.

When I started my first political job in the late 1980s working for Margaret Thatcher, things looked so different.  The Cold War was ending and the Berlin Wall coming down.  Democracy was spreading, trade barriers were tumbling and more countries and people were embracing freedom and prosperity.

How should we respond to this new reality?

First, by understanding how profoundly our world has changed.

The forces shaping it – a warmonger in the Kremlin, a more aggressive China, Islamist extremism poisoning young minds – these things aren’t going to disappear overnight.

There’s no point hoping for some magical return to the world as it once was. Hope isn’t a policy.

And there’s no point pretending that we can somehow insulate ourselves from these crises, or pull up some imaginary drawbridge.

It’s not just that Putin’s war has hit energy and food prices here at home.  Or that conflict in the Middle East, if it flares out of control, can do the same.

It’s that if Putin isn’t stopped in Ukraine he will be back for more. And we know from our history that appeasing dictators ultimately wrecks British interests and costs British lives.

Conflict in the Middle East doesn’t stay in the region.  It can destabilise our allies and trigger mass migrations.  And it deeply affects Jewish and Muslim populations in our own countries.

Our response needs to be one of strength, resilience and unity.

We need to build up our defences, stay close to our strongest friends and partners, and reach out to new allies.

That’s why next week I will be heading to Washington DC to work with our closest and strongest ally, the USA.

The debate there – about how much to help Ukraine and for how long – is underway.

I know the arguments – that European security is American security and that dictators shouldn’t be appeased – will win the day.

But I want to reassure them that we will stay the course and galvanise other allies too.

Yes, I stood in the bombed cathedral in Ukraine, but I also heard how Ukraine’s forces destroyed a fifth of Russia’s attack helicopters in Ukraine in just one night.  How Putin’s Black Sea fleet has been pushed largely out of Crimea.  How Ukraine is shipping grain again, with its economy growing again.

Likewise, while the scenes unfolding in Gaza are appalling, we doubled our humanitarian aid to those needing support in Gaza, and have been able to use the recent humanitarian pauses to get hostages out and aid in.

In these uncertain times, we need to make sure that the assets we have really deliver the results we need.

In recent years, the government has crafted a new security strategy which wins praise from allies. We have increased defence spending. We have shown leadership on Ukraine and in NATO. We have forged stronger ties in the Gulf and Indo-Pacific. We must keep driving this work forward.

It is a privilege to return to government with responsibility for the Foreign Office.

I want to use my experience to make sure that every part of it – from world class diplomats to experts in development, from our crises response teams to our world renowned intelligence capabilities – are focused on our security and our prosperity.

With strength and resilience must come unity.

Last week I sat in NATO’s first Council meeting with Ukraine and saw the strength of the most successful alliance in history.  Add together the economies of the countries backing Ukraine against Russia and we outmatch Putin by almost 30 to 1.  With the support we give to Ukraine – whether its artillery shells or economic support – we must make that economic strength count.

And if we can bring together all those who want a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, we may even be able to turn this horrific situation into an opportunity for real progress.

We must be clear-eyed about both the threats we face and those who want to see us fail.

But if we turn this moment of danger and insecurity into something that brings a new sense of unity between allies, there is no reason why we cannot prevail.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 December 2023.

The UK government announces measures to support climate-vulnerable countries and joins calls for bolder action on climate adaptation.

• £100 million of UK funding will help climate-vulnerable populations adapt to climate change
• at COP28 Summit today, the UK will call for bolder action to fight the impact climate change is having on health
• package that contributes towards the £1.6 billion of climate aid announced by the Prime Minister on Friday

The UK government will make commitments to help vulnerable countries strengthen their resilience to the increasingly frequent and severe effects of climate change at the COP28 Summit on Sunday (3 December).

International Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell will announce £100 million to support some of the most climate-vulnerable countries to tackle climate change. This will support an initiative to strengthen early warning systems in countries on the front line of climate change, giving people advanced warning of cyclones, flooding and other extreme weather so they can move away from danger, saving lives and protecting vulnerable communities.

The funding will also help make health care in these areas more resilient and able to withstand disasters, like floods, and ready to deal with spikes in infectious diseases, like cholera and malaria, due to floods caused by climate change.

Recognising the urgency of the situation, which forces 26 million into poverty every year, the government will also join calls for bolder collective action to protect the lives, health and livelihoods of those most impacted by climate change.

This supports the Prime Minister announcing major funding for climate projects and stressing the need for ambitious, innovative and pragmatic action.

International Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell, said:

The devastating effects of climate change hit the most vulnerable the hardest.

These funding commitments will help countries and people be better prepared and protected against extreme weather events and natural disasters. They will help roll out measures such as early warning systems, and open up access to climate finance to build resilient health services.

The UK will continue to press for a bold and ambitious approach to support those on the frontline of our changing climate, and to create a safer planet for us all.

On behalf of the UK, Minister Mitchell will endorse the ‘Getting Ahead of Disasters’ Charter, the ‘COP28 Declaration on Relief, Recovery and Peace’, and the ‘COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health’.

Speaking at COP28, he will outline details of the funding package, which include:

• nearly £20 million for a package of disaster risk financing and early warning systems. This will help the one-third of the world’s population who are not covered by early warning systems to prepare for climate shocks and extreme weather, reducing disaster-related mortality and damage. It will also provide affordable insurance against climate disasters, such as droughts
• funding of £36 million for climate action in the Middle East and North Africa to support long-term climate stability. This will mobilise $500 million for clean energy and green growth projects, support 450,000 people to adapt to climate change, and support 200,000 women in better protecting their families from climate shocks. This delivers on the UK’s commitment to scale up pre-arranged finance for crisis recovery
• over £4.4 million to improve access to climate finance for Small Island Developing States and enable them to adapt to the impacts of climate change, with support from the Global Environment Facility’s Special Climate Change Fund and the Alliance of Small Island States
• another £3 million for a new research hub in partnership with Canada, to help local communities address climate shocks and adapt to the long-term impacts of a changing climate. This will be delivered through the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) programme, launched by the UK at COP26
• up to £18 million for an innovative new programme to adapt and strengthen health systems. This will help partner countries manage the growing health impacts of climate change, from infectious diseases and food shortages, to water insecurity and other health-related emergencies. It will be the first climate and health programme to be announced by a G7 country
• a further £20 million for a new research programme to guide the UK’s future work on climate-resilient health systems, recognising the fast-evolving agenda and the need for a stronger evidence base of what works to address the growing threats from climate change to health
• finally, £3 million for a new partnership with the International Rescue Committee to reduce the impact of climate-related crises on schools, students and communities. The Climate Resilient Education Systems Trial will build an evidence base of effective approaches to combatting climate change in and through education

At the COP28 Summit on Sunday (3 December), the UK will convene experts and thought leaders for a panel discussion on climate security. It will be the first time that the UK has hosted such an event, with the US, the EU, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, NATO, and United Nations Development Programme expected to attend. It aims to improve collective understanding of the security implications of climate change, including global instability and conflict, while exploring best practice to respond to these risks through data-informed policy making, stress testing, analytical foresight capability, and international cooperation.

Background:

The £20 million disaster risk financing package consists of:

• £5 million for the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) initiative to enable the least developed countries and Small Island Developing States to better prepare for climate shocks and extreme weather
• £7.4 million to fund drought insurance protection for Somalia over the next 3 years through African Risk Capacity (ARC), Africa’s risk pool, which will provide rapid payouts to vulnerable communities if rains fail
• £7.1 million to fund disaster insurance cover in Senegal, Somalia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe over 2 years through the Start Network, which allows members to pool funds and risks in order to stretch funding further and provide additional cover. This will also cover locally-led responses to the impact of El Niño-driven extreme weather across multiple countries

The £40 million climate-health package consists of:

• £18 million for the UK’s flagship Climate Resilient and Sustainable Health Systems Programme
• £20 million for a newly approved Climate and Health Research Programme
• increased funding to UNICEF to help develop the climate resilience of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services and to unlock climate finance

The new CLARE Research for Impact (R4I) Hub will identify demand from key stakeholders and match it with past research investments made by the UK and Canada. By repurposing this evidence to meet the specific decision-making contexts and the local adaptation needs and priorities, it will lead to more tangible impacts on the ground.