Let’s link climate, girls’ education and nature as we build back better

Harriett Baldwin MP | 18th February 2021 | Magazine

Harriett Baldwin MP: official parliamentary portrait (CC BY 3.0)

How can Britain be a global leader whilst cutting billions in overseas aid, asks Harriett Baldwin MP

As hosts of the G7 and COP26, the Government has an opportunity for ‘Global Britain’ to set the Global Agenda. But how can we place ourselves as a global leader whilst cutting billions in overseas aid from those who need it most? The Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab recently confirmed spending will be cut from £13.9 billion to £9.9 billion, a Government decision which will affect lives of the very poorest across the globe. This decision to breach our manifesto pledge is disappointing, and one that I won’t vote for. Now, it is crucial this remaining spending has real impact on the ground for those who need it most, by addressing the triple challenge of biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty. Women and girls suffer disproportionately from the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. For example, the staggering rate at which forests are disappearing due to increasingly damaging agricultural practices and resource extraction has direct implications for women’s ability to sou...

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