Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Figure 8 of the UK international climate finance results 2022, updated on 23 February 2023, what steps he is taking to make progress on the area of land where deforestation has been avoided (a) in the Congo Basin and (b) elsewhere.

The UK recognizes the critical importance of Congo Basin rainforests to tackling climate change, millions of forest dependent people and for biodiversity. At COP27, the Prime Minister announced a new £90 million programme to support forests and forest livelihoods in the Congo Basin, maintaining the momentum achieved at COP 26 where Congo basin forests were in the spotlight.

At COP 26 the UK announced major new investments in forests including £1 billion over 10 years for programmes supporting sustainable economic growth and trade, livelihoods and forest governance.

UK International Climate Finance (ICF) reaches those most in need and we are delivering on our pledge to spend 3 billion of our £11.6 billion ICF pledge between 2021/22 and 2025/26 on nature, including forests.