Skip to main content

Written question asked by John Glen (Conservative) on Monday, 24 February 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 26 February 2025. It was answered by Emma Reynolds (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 March 2025 on behalf of the Treasury.


Environment Protection: Finance

Question

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the UK Government Green Financing Framework, published in June 2021, whether it remains her Department's policy that funding should not be provided for the development of green technologies in the defence industry.

Answer

The principles of the Green Financing Programme are set out in the Green Financing Framework, published in June 2021. The Framework explains how proceeds from green gilts and NS&I’s retail Green Savings Bonds will finance green expenditures to help tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and other environmental challenges, while creating green jobs across the UK. It also includes guidelines on the types of expenditures that can be included in the Programme.

The previous Government decided to exclude financing weapons in its Green Financing Framework, alongside other named exclusions. The international convention is to exclude weapons for green bond frameworks. In line with other sovereign green bond issuers and international best practices, the UK Government Green Financing Framework was designed to align with the International Capital Markets Association (ICMA) Green Bond Principles. This approach enables the UK’s green gilts to be accessible to the greatest possible pool of investors, improving value-for-money.

Green gilts and Green Savings Bonds finance public expenditures that can demonstrate a direct and positive environmental impact. Eligible expenditures are drawn from departments’ confirmed settlements in the Spending Review and assessed on the basis of their contribution to the Government’s climate and environmental objectives.

The Green Financing Framework does not underpin how Government expenditure decisions are made. As the PM has announced to Parliament on Tuesday 25 February, we will reach 2.5% of GDP expenditure on defence in 27-28.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
33375
Session
2024-26
Related items
Environment Protection: Finance
Wednesday, 9 April 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Deposited Paper DEP2021-0530
Thursday, 1 July 2021
Deposited papers
House of Lords
House of Commons
Environment Protection: Finance
Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Defence: Environment Protection
Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Show all related items (5)
Environment Protection: Finance
Thursday, 8 May 2025
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Defence Finance Environment protection Technology
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk