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As Britain's economy totters, Huhne hands £1bn in foreign aid to poor countries to help them 'cope with climate change'
Britain has pledged £3.4 billion in climate finance, with £2.9 billion for this spending review period
Projects being supported include stimulating private investment, providing solar panels, irrigation schemes and building water pipelines
The Government today said it had allocated more than £1 billion in initial funding to help poor countries cope with climate change.
Speaking at the latest round of climate talks in Durban, South Africa, Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said the 'fast start' funding included money to help the most vulnerable people in Africa.
The announcement comes as countries attempt to establish a 'green climate fund' at the Durban talks, to channel billions of pounds to poor countries as part of a pledge to provide £64 billion a year in climate finance by 2020.
At the chaotic climate talks in Copenhagen two years ago countries including Britain committed to an initial £6.4 billion a year for three years to support efforts by developing countries to cope with climate change, with a long-term plan to scale up to £64 billion by the end of the decade.
In total, Britain has pledged £3.4 billion in climate finance, with £2.9 billion announced by the coalition Government for this spending review period.
Projects being supported by Britain include stimulating private investment to provide low-cost, green technology such as solar panels and irrigation schemes in East Africa and building water pipelines in Namibia.
Mr Huhne said: 'We are looking for practical outcomes on the ground that help build the resilience of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world.'
Negotiators at the climate talks are under pressure to make progress on establishing the green climate fund, and to agree sources of cash for the scheme.
Mr Huhne said the UK was 'fully committed to the green fund', and supported the proposals the committee set up to design the scheme.
The climate fund is one of a number of issues being debated at the negotiations, where the central focus is the EU's bid to get a roadmap towards a global legally binding climate deal that covers all major polluters in return for signing up to a second set of emissions cuts under the existing Kyoto climate treaty.
Heat is on: Solar panels are powering homes in southern Sudan
Asked if he had concerns that the establishment of the fund could be held hostage by the rest of the negotiations, Mr Huhne said many countries were arguing for the need to make progress in a range of areas including a new climate deal and the green fund.
'We have to proceed in parallel, but while it's early stages, I'm hopeful we will get a deal that satisfies everyone,' he said.
He also said that levies on emissions from aviation and shipping were the most likely areas to provide early finance for the green fund.
The plans have fueled criticism from Tory backbenchers over David Camerons promise to increase UK spending on aid at a time when public services in Britain are facing swingeing cuts.
[h=4]More...[/h]
Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, said: It is completely unjustifiable to spend so much money at a time when were reducing the number of police officers in this country.
Fellow Tory MP Peter Bone said: What makes it worse is that much of the aid budget is spent on things that are not really benefiting developing countries. The answer is trade, not aid.
In a sign that the Government is pulling in different directions on environmental policy, George Osborne will announce tomorrow that the Treasury will offer £250million in tax breaks to firms hit by Mr Huhnes climate change policies.
He will use his Autumn Statement effectively a mini-Budget to help companies that use large amounts of energy after being warned that Britains plans to cut carbon emissions faster than our competitors was driving business abroad.
Energy-intensive firms such as cement, aluminium and steel makers will get 95 per cent relief from the climate change levy as well as tens of millions of pounds to offset new carbon levies.
Mr Osborne insists Britain should not seek to lead the world in cutting emissions and that he is not prepared to bankrupt British businesses by putting them at a competitive disadvantage.
But Mr Huhne is pressing ahead with spending taxpayers money promoting green policies in the rest of the world.
In the second week of the UN climate change conference in the South African city of Durban, he is expected to say the aid will go towards a variety of anti-climate change schemes, such as helping African farmers protect their crops against flooding and drought, installing solar panels in villages, and building slurry pits to produce gas for generators.
Projects to target illegal logging in tropical forests will also get cash.
Ethiopia and Rwanda are expected to benefit, as well as South Africa - the most developed country on the continent with an economy which grew far faster than Britains last year.
It is not known whether the money will go straight to governments or whether it will be channelled via charities and companies.
Some £282.5million has already been allocated towards aid for foreign climate-change projects.
But next weeks announcement will see hundreds of millions more allocated to African climate-change projects by 2015.
Last night critics questioned whether so much money should continue to be ploughed into Africa, where aid money has a history of disappearing as a result of corruption.
Just last week, an independent watchdog found that the rapid expansion of Britains international aid programme has left it increasingly exposed to fraud.
Julian Morris, president of the London-based think tank International Policy Network, said Mr Huhnes announcement would be seen as a bribe.
A NASA thermal satellite image shows the world's arctic surface temperature trends. Experts have warned that levels of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change have reached a record high
The timing seems to be a cynical move by the British Government, he said.
It suggests this is an attempt to bribe African governments to sign up to whatever deals the British Government wants them to sign up to in Durban.
'The money will almost certainly go to foreign governments and do little to improve the lot of the poor.
Robert Oxley of the TaxPayers Alliance said: The Government should be freezing international aid, not increasing it.
Rather than throwing money away on corruption and programmes that deliver little of real substance, aid should be targeted at the worlds poorest who really need help.
A spokesman for Mr Huhnes Department for Energy and Climate Change would not confirm the total amount, and said it was not new money as it will be drawn from the Coalitions fully- funded £2.9billion International Climate Fund.
Last night Business Department sources said Vince Cable had been instrumental in raising his concern about the cost of energy and climate change policies on manufacturing businesses, writing to the Prime Minister and George Osborne on the issue in April.
They have made considerable capital investment in their British plants to make sure they are energy efficient. This investment shows their commitment to the UK, said one.
Thats why its so vital we dont repay their faith in Britain with the introduction of a hefty tax, which could see them relocate and result in the loss of British jobs and do nothing about reducing global carbon emissions.
Britain has pledged £3.4 billion in climate finance, with £2.9 billion for this spending review period
Projects being supported include stimulating private investment, providing solar panels, irrigation schemes and building water pipelines
The Government today said it had allocated more than £1 billion in initial funding to help poor countries cope with climate change.
Speaking at the latest round of climate talks in Durban, South Africa, Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said the 'fast start' funding included money to help the most vulnerable people in Africa.
The announcement comes as countries attempt to establish a 'green climate fund' at the Durban talks, to channel billions of pounds to poor countries as part of a pledge to provide £64 billion a year in climate finance by 2020.
At the chaotic climate talks in Copenhagen two years ago countries including Britain committed to an initial £6.4 billion a year for three years to support efforts by developing countries to cope with climate change, with a long-term plan to scale up to £64 billion by the end of the decade.
In total, Britain has pledged £3.4 billion in climate finance, with £2.9 billion announced by the coalition Government for this spending review period.
Projects being supported by Britain include stimulating private investment to provide low-cost, green technology such as solar panels and irrigation schemes in East Africa and building water pipelines in Namibia.
Mr Huhne said: 'We are looking for practical outcomes on the ground that help build the resilience of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world.'
Negotiators at the climate talks are under pressure to make progress on establishing the green climate fund, and to agree sources of cash for the scheme.
Mr Huhne said the UK was 'fully committed to the green fund', and supported the proposals the committee set up to design the scheme.
The climate fund is one of a number of issues being debated at the negotiations, where the central focus is the EU's bid to get a roadmap towards a global legally binding climate deal that covers all major polluters in return for signing up to a second set of emissions cuts under the existing Kyoto climate treaty.
Asked if he had concerns that the establishment of the fund could be held hostage by the rest of the negotiations, Mr Huhne said many countries were arguing for the need to make progress in a range of areas including a new climate deal and the green fund.
'We have to proceed in parallel, but while it's early stages, I'm hopeful we will get a deal that satisfies everyone,' he said.
He also said that levies on emissions from aviation and shipping were the most likely areas to provide early finance for the green fund.
The plans have fueled criticism from Tory backbenchers over David Camerons promise to increase UK spending on aid at a time when public services in Britain are facing swingeing cuts.
[h=4]More...[/h]
Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, said: It is completely unjustifiable to spend so much money at a time when were reducing the number of police officers in this country.
Fellow Tory MP Peter Bone said: What makes it worse is that much of the aid budget is spent on things that are not really benefiting developing countries. The answer is trade, not aid.
In a sign that the Government is pulling in different directions on environmental policy, George Osborne will announce tomorrow that the Treasury will offer £250million in tax breaks to firms hit by Mr Huhnes climate change policies.
He will use his Autumn Statement effectively a mini-Budget to help companies that use large amounts of energy after being warned that Britains plans to cut carbon emissions faster than our competitors was driving business abroad.
Energy-intensive firms such as cement, aluminium and steel makers will get 95 per cent relief from the climate change levy as well as tens of millions of pounds to offset new carbon levies.
Mr Osborne insists Britain should not seek to lead the world in cutting emissions and that he is not prepared to bankrupt British businesses by putting them at a competitive disadvantage.
But Mr Huhne is pressing ahead with spending taxpayers money promoting green policies in the rest of the world.
In the second week of the UN climate change conference in the South African city of Durban, he is expected to say the aid will go towards a variety of anti-climate change schemes, such as helping African farmers protect their crops against flooding and drought, installing solar panels in villages, and building slurry pits to produce gas for generators.
Projects to target illegal logging in tropical forests will also get cash.
Ethiopia and Rwanda are expected to benefit, as well as South Africa - the most developed country on the continent with an economy which grew far faster than Britains last year.
It is not known whether the money will go straight to governments or whether it will be channelled via charities and companies.
Some £282.5million has already been allocated towards aid for foreign climate-change projects.
But next weeks announcement will see hundreds of millions more allocated to African climate-change projects by 2015.
Last night critics questioned whether so much money should continue to be ploughed into Africa, where aid money has a history of disappearing as a result of corruption.
Just last week, an independent watchdog found that the rapid expansion of Britains international aid programme has left it increasingly exposed to fraud.
Julian Morris, president of the London-based think tank International Policy Network, said Mr Huhnes announcement would be seen as a bribe.
The timing seems to be a cynical move by the British Government, he said.
It suggests this is an attempt to bribe African governments to sign up to whatever deals the British Government wants them to sign up to in Durban.
'The money will almost certainly go to foreign governments and do little to improve the lot of the poor.
Robert Oxley of the TaxPayers Alliance said: The Government should be freezing international aid, not increasing it.
Rather than throwing money away on corruption and programmes that deliver little of real substance, aid should be targeted at the worlds poorest who really need help.
A spokesman for Mr Huhnes Department for Energy and Climate Change would not confirm the total amount, and said it was not new money as it will be drawn from the Coalitions fully- funded £2.9billion International Climate Fund.
Last night Business Department sources said Vince Cable had been instrumental in raising his concern about the cost of energy and climate change policies on manufacturing businesses, writing to the Prime Minister and George Osborne on the issue in April.
They have made considerable capital investment in their British plants to make sure they are energy efficient. This investment shows their commitment to the UK, said one.
Thats why its so vital we dont repay their faith in Britain with the introduction of a hefty tax, which could see them relocate and result in the loss of British jobs and do nothing about reducing global carbon emissions.