Time to refocus development aid on human welfare – not climate change

The article argues that development aid should prioritise improving people’s health, education and incomes rather than climate mitigation. It says global progress in reducing poverty and improving living standards has slowed, and that shifting aid towards climate projects may be diverting money from more effective ways to help poorer communities.

The article cites World Bank figures showing that extreme poverty has remained broadly unchanged since 2016, after falling substantially over previous decades. It says climate-related projects made up 26.7 per cent of UK development-aid commitments in 2024, worth $4.342 billion, and nearly a quarter of rich nations’ commitments overall. The authors argue that economic growth helps people withstand climate shocks, and cite estimates that health, nutrition and education programmes can generate $40 to $110 in social benefits per dollar invested.