Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support new technologies to advance climate adaptation, including in developing countries.

The Government supports research in a range of technologies, spanning many sectors, which will improve our resilience to climate change. For example, in Defra we have awarded £5.5 million between 2018 and 2023 towards Genetic Improvement Networks research projects, which aim to enhance the productivity, sustainability and resilience of the main UK crops. We are also supporting the UK Research and Innovation Transforming Food Production Initiative, through which a public investment of £90 million will be made over four years to support the rapid development and deployment of advanced precision agricultural solutions. The UK Climate Resilience Programme also supports adaptive endeavours on both national and regional scales, through action-oriented research and by working directly with local communities. The UK is a world leader in climate science and the Government has developed extensive research and innovation capabilities over the past few decades to ensure policies are built upon a robust, ever-growing evidence base.

Research excellence from world-class UK institutions is complemented by a proven track record of working collaboratively across the globe to build adaptive capacity and enhance resilience, by harnessing the power of research, evidence translation and community engagement. For example, the UK-funded Future Climate for Africa research programme, known as FCFA, has delivered major advances in the scientific understanding of African climate variability and change, improving continent-wide prediction of the impacts of climate change. Crucially, the FCFA also tackles the challenge of how to bring this new science into use to reduce the risks faced by governments, businesses, and communities on the frontline. Supporting novel, collaborative approaches between researchers and decision-makers in country has helped to build the climate resilience of cities across southern Africa, improved flood risk management in West Africa, and improved water security in East Africa.

More broadly, the Government has doubled its international climate finance of £11.6 billion between 2021/22 and 2025/26, with an extra £1 billion in 2025 if the economy grows as forecast, supporting developing nations to access clean technology and build green infrastructure. For example, the Clean Energy Innovation Facility (CEIF) is a £50 million programme which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of clean energy technologies in developing countries, supporting clean growth and a resilient recovery from COVID-19.