What we’re reading: What Britain’s foreign policy review means for international climate partnerships
By Olga Cowings, Partnerships and Engagement Officer
2021 marks an important year for Britain’s international ambitions. There are unprecedented risks and opportunities at home and abroad alike — from countries and communities across the globe tackling Covid-19 to combatting climate change. At the same time, the economic impact of the pandemic has squeezed budgets for tacking these issues. To maximise its resources, the UK is set to become more strategic in its approach so that multiple issues and opportunities can be addressed at once and the country can take a leadership role globally.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) published the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, outlining it’s vision to 2030. In just over 100 pages, the government sets out what role the UK is set to play in international cooperation and assistance.
Here is what it means for partnerships to combat climate change:
#1: The convergence of space, data and climate
With 112 mentions of space, 90 mentions of climate and 63 mentions of data, there is immense momentum around deploying British space technology and expertise for tackling climate change. Scotland is already the top producer of satellites in Europe and the sector set to explode. The UK has also secured post-Brexit participation in the European Space Agency’s Copernicus climate change program. In the coming years, efforts will focus on developing advanced capabilities with new satellites and sensors, while building value-adding services from cooperative programs like Copernicus. The growth in earth observations-based goods and services will need new users, markets and applications in all corners of the world — this is a challenge. Partnership brokers have a major role to play in channelling British technology and expertise to where it is most needed to combat climate change.
#2: An integrated approach to security and development
Climate change is responsible for increasing instability and insecurity worldwide; from conflict over water resources to hazard-induced displacement and food shortages. Making the most of development assistance and security budgets will mean understanding which instability hot spots are most at risk from climate change, and how that is likely to evolve over time. By anticipating the impact of climate change on peace and security, overseas assistance can focus on helping partners manage these risks before they result in conflict, leaving more budget for addressing unmitigated insecurity in other parts of the world. The FCDO is eager to use insight and analysis from around the world to target interventions overseas. However, building analytical capabilities is no easy feat, especially in navigating and prioritising a plethora of data, methods and solutions. Partnerships and peer learning will be critical for understanding approaches, challenges and best practices for data-driven targeting of interventions.
#3: Unlocking climate adaptation and mitigation through green finance
The merging of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development in 2020 signalled that international assistance was to take a more strategic approach. For a country looking to spur growth post-Covid-19 and capitalize on trade agreements outside of the European Union, it means that economic opportunities are a bigger consideration in prioritizing Overseas Development Assistance. Climate-positive investment is likely to see a big boost — from leveraging British offshore wind expertise to develop renewable energy industries, to insurance solutions for farmers facing crop damage and financing of nature-based solutions like mangrove protection. Earth observations-based goods, solutions and services will be critical to targeting interventions and investment; meanwhile the big data & information solutions market in projected to grow 25% per year globally. Bolstering data-driven green finance will allow the British government to unlock shared prosperity among partners, working with a wide set of stakeholders along the data value chain from producers to decision makers and users.
#4: Setting the rules of the playing field
The concept of data governance is gaining traction worldwide when it comes to protecting citizen privacy and minimizing harm from data sharing. There are robust blueprints like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation that are creating a growing global patchwork of laws and regulations. However, laws and regulations focused on citizen protection rarely seek to foster economic opportunities for data-based goods and services. There is no set of binding principles that support the cross-border flow of data, little quantification of the value of data and few provisions for digital goods and services in free trade agreements. In the short-term, the UK is set to play a trailblazing role by embedding provisions for digital goods and services in emerging trade agreements and through its convening power to define a global set of rules. Longer-term, governance is set to expand to outer space too. With the ability to ride-share on launching rockets and 8,500 satellites forecast to launch worldwide 2019–2028, space is set to become far more crowded and competitive.
There will be a tricky balance to maintain for Britain: convening partners to develop a fair set of rules that all can commit to, and capitalising on its leadership position in data, technology and space for economic advantage. This will require a good understanding of emerging governance frontiers and careful political manoeuvring to build consensus.
#5: It all starts at COP26
Despite big budget cuts, the FCDO will maintain a strong climate and biodiversity portfolio of £534m over the next year as the COP26 host. This momentous conference will take place in November in Glasgow. It will be a key moment for the British government to showcase the country’s expertise in data and technology, its leadership on climate issues, its commitment to climate-positive economic cooperation and its convening power to set the rules of a digital world. One can only imagine the uncertainties in successfully pulling off a major international conference as the world continues to grapple with Covid-19.
But one thing is for certain: COP26 will pave the way for Britain to deploy its expertise in data, space and climate to unlock shared prosperity and combat climate change.
Read more:
→ Trends and challenges in the space sector
→ Data is power: Setting the rules of global data governance
