21 March 2007

ActionAid has welcomed today’s announcement by the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, of funding for enviromental projects in the developing world.

Jessica Woodroffe, head of policy at ActionAid, said: "The £800m for green development will be very welcome if it is a real increase in aid above current levels of spending."

She added: "The Chancellor has recognised the vital link between the environment and global poverty. We welcome his announcement of £800m over three years to support clean energy and climate change adaptation, and tackle deforestation in developing countries. It is crucial that that this sum is genuinely additional to existing aid spending, because July’s Comprehensive Spending Review needs to take us closer to the UK's aid target of 0.7% of national income by 2013."