‘Labour can and should lead the world on climate and nature’

This Labour government has an important opportunity during the UK G20 to enact a big, bold, global reset on international development, climate and nature, at a critically important time for the world.

The challenge is to achieve in 2026 – amid fractured global politics, a decline in multilateralism, and a hostile US – what Gordon Brown in his unique brilliance achieved in 2008; or as close a deal as might reasonably be possible in this new world order.

The times are of course inherently different; the politics notably more complex and multi-polar. But there is scope for the UK to play a massively important role, and it is heartening that Sir Keir Starmer has asked Gordon Brown to advise the UK G20 (if there is a change in Prime Minister, I hope his successor will maintain Gordon in this role, as we are so fortunate to have someone of his experience and breadth of vision and understanding in this position). 

At least three opportunities present themselves, beyond the overarching goal of showing that multilateralism and the G20 can still yield dividends and is worth pursuing. The first is to demonstrate international leadership on resilience, including climate resilience; the second, to provide further ongoing leadership on the really challenging and vital set of issues around conflict, fragile states and fragility more broadly; and third, to lead by example on the set of issues bringing together nature, food security and climate.

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Across all of these three — and other issues such as improving the lives of women and girls, on which Yvette Cooper has been such a champion — it is vital that Britain adopts a genuine leadership position and our leader offers sustained focus and attention.

On the issue of resilience, it is noteworthy that over the past decade, adaptation has risen up the international climate agenda (as well as the UK domestic one – witness the impacts of recent heatwaves). More recently, substantial progress has also been made in articulating the investment and economic case for climate resilience. Yet this has not translated into action at the scale or speed required. Most countries remain dangerously exposed to climate shocks.

 In an increasingly fragmented and uncertain world, taking action alone is daunting and potentially risky. Despite the fraying of the international rules-based order, there is still a strong opportunity for collective action on issues such as adaptation and resilience – both at the multilateral and plurilateral level. This year’s G7 (hosted by France) with the work of the Taskforce on Resilience, is a testament to this collective action despite geopolitical headwinds. 

The UK could use its good offices to form a club of Presidency countries across various multilateral, plurilateral and economic groupings – incoming, current, and outgoing – with shared interest in seeing an acceleration in adaptation and resilience action. COP32 in Ethiopia provides a powerful political anchor for this agenda. It takes place in a region with acute climate resilience needs and in a country with a track record of comprehensive, risk-based development planning. The UK could step up its focus over the coming year on working in a spirit of partnership with countries to boost their resilience, including through concerted climate action. 

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The second urgent agenda item for the Prime Minister is conflict and fragility, as this week’s World Bank Forum on fragility reminds us. David Miliband and Tom Fletcher have been strong recent advocates to the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and the Minister for Development, Baroness Jenny Chapman, on this agenda; but there is a huge amount for G20 countries to do in partnering with fractured and fragile states to reduce conflict, broker peace, and encourage new and additional flows of humanitarian financing to these nations and their communities. Here, the UK has a vital role to play — even at a time of reduced ODA spending (where there should under no circumstances be any further cuts; and ideally increased allocations over the coming years). 

Third, the current or next Prime Minister will hopefully find his voice on nature and the protection and restoration of the natural world – an issue which continues to be popular with the British public and to cross the political divide. Whether through the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, through bold and ambitious leadership on the ocean conservation agenda, or in advancing through the G20 the notion that nature is central to macro-economic resilience, it would be wonderful if the UK could adopt a leadership position on nature as part of its efforts at the G20. We know that Sir Keir Starmer has a sincere conviction in this area, one he shares with Sir David Attenborough and the King; but we also know that there is so much more to do here, and that the G20 could be a strong opportunity to demonstrate positive action.

Across each of these areas, and others, it will be heartening to so many in the country and in the Labour movement to hear their Prime Minister speak enthusiastically, knowledgeably and with conviction about this set of issues. The times we live in demand such leadership; and such leadership would be consistent with the values of the Labour Party, most of its parliamentarians, and a wide swathe of the British public, who maintain a generous attitude to the world and to the alleviation of global poverty and climate distress even – or perhaps especially – at this perilous time. 

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