Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of (a) 1.5, (b) 2, (c) 4 and (d) 6 degrees of global warming on (i) countries belonging to the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Alliance of Small Island States and (ii) the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; and if she will make a statement.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has produced detailed assessments of the effect of global warming. Its study on Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability contained in the 2014 Fifth Assessment Report (available here: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg2/) makes clear how the impacts of climate change are expected to slow down economic growth, erode food security and make poverty reduction more difficult. The report notes that higher levels of warming increase the chance of severe and pervasive impacts.

The poorest and most vulnerable will be hit first and hardest by climate change and the World Bank has estimated that without action to address climate change it could result in an additional 100 million people living in extreme poverty by 2030. The UK Government is committed to tackling poverty and climate change through its International Climate Fund, which the Prime Minister has announced will increase by 50% over the next five years.