British climate finance largess in Brazil

There’s a familiar version of climate action that feels reassuring by design. Governments commit public money, international partnerships take shape, and ambitious targets follow. 

Britain’s international climate programme — UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions, or UK PACT — fits neatly into that narrative, positioning itself as part of a coordinated global response to an escalating crisis.

READ MONICA PICCININI’S REPORT: A RECKONING IN THE AMAZON (PDF)

UK PACT funds projects in countries like Brazil with the aim of reducing emissions, protecting ecosystems, and unlocking “green” investment. 

Implementation

At first glance, it looks exactly like what you would hope for. But as with many complex and large systems, the reality becomes more complicated the closer you look. So, the question isn’t whether work is happening, but whether that work leads to meaningful change on the ground.

It’s easy to assume that climate funding flows directly to where it’s most urgently needed: forests, communities or critical infrastructure. In fact, the journey is rarely that straightforward.

Funds move from taxpayers to government programmes, and then on to delivery partners, often consultancies, think tanks and international NGOs. 

Organisations including the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), the Talanoa Institute, the Climate Bonds Initiative,Imaflora, Conexsus, The Climate Group, the AYA Institute, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Brasil, and others, are all participants in this space.