Humza Yousaf announces £24 million climate crisis aid for Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia

First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced climate crisis funding of up to £24m for Rwanda, Malawi and Zambia.

Yousaf said three aid agencies, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), DAI, and NIRAS, will each receive up to £8m over the next three years from the Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund.

Speaking at the launch of the programme in Edinburgh today, he said the countries that are worst affected by the climate crisis are the ones that are suffering at the greatest consequences or are the ones that have contributed the least, and that the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are responsible for barely half of one per cent of global emissions.

As he introduced a lecture by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry focusing on the climate crisis, Yousaf said: “Scotland, two years ago, became the first global north country to commit funding to this crucial issue. The injustice at the heart of the global climate crisis is also why Scotland established a climate justice fund more than a decade ago.

“We were the first nation in the world to do so. I am also pleased that today we have been able to announce the start of our £24m climate just community programme in Malawi, Zambia Rwanda.”

Yousaf said the three aid agencies will work with local communities, including those in the most marginalised communities, to identify their own priorities and build resilience to the climate crisis. 

He said: “We are looking forward to hearing and seeing the progress that they make. The programme that we are confirming today is small in terms of the overall scale of the climate crisis, but it is a significant commitment from a devolved government, and it will make a real difference to the communities that we are pledging to work with.” 

Kerry’s lecture is the first in a series of annual Scottish Global Dialogues taking place during the Edinburgh International Festival to discuss global challenges.