British taxpayers are stumping up hundreds of millions for green initiatives in countries like Uganda, Albania and Indonesia, damning reports have revealed.
The revelation has sparked fury from hardworking Britons who, after paying taxes all their life, are now being told there isn’t enough money for things like the winter fuel payment and that they need to pay more tax.
One contract saw the Foreign Office spend £15.5million of taxpayer money on ‘Climate Smart Jobs’ in Uganda.
The contract, which runs from September 2022 to March 2026, ‘aims to build resilience to climate change for at least 130,000 Ugandan households through climate smart agriculture.’
It includes an option for a two-year extension, boosting its cost to £23.25 million.
The Foreign Office contract that spent £15.5million of taxpayer money on ‘Climate Smart Jobs’ in Uganda
Gov.UK
Another saw the Foreign Office award a £499,649 contract to procure 15 electric Porsches to donate to Albanian prisons for net zero.
The contract, signed off in October 2023, says ‘the electric vehicles will be used mainly around Tirana with some long journeys to distant prisons in Albania, moving to electric vehicles is part of the drive towards net zero and is part of a wider greening initiative.’
The Foreign Office contract that spent £499,649 of taxpayer money on electric Porsches for Albanian prisons
Gov.UK
The Foreign Office spent £220 to £580million on a contract to help developing countries ‘increase their future climate ambitions, reduce their emissions, and accelerate just transitions to clean growth.’
The contract, which runs from February 2024 to March 2030, aims to ‘respond explicitly to partner government demand for capacity building interventions’ and ‘share UK expertise in areas like climate legislation, green finance, and smart energy’ with countries like Chad, Myanmarand Afghanistan.
The Foreign Office contract that spent £220/550 million of taxpayer money on green initiatives in developing countries
Gov.UK
Nepal, Somalia and Indonesia are all also beneficiaries of lucrative taxpayer funded government contracts.
The landlocked, mountainous country of Nepal will benefit from a ‘Green Growth’ contract to the tune of £22million.
The contract, which runs from July 2024 to July 2029, aims to ‘increase green, resilient, and inclusive growth by expanding investment in green industries and services, improving climate-resilient infrastructure and investment in cities, and strengthening sustainable economic policy and implementation.’
The Foreign Office contract that spent £22 million of taxpayer money on green growth in Nepal
Gov.UK
Almost £7million worth of taxpayer money has also been funnelled into a renewable energy programme in Indonesia.
Running from 2019 to 2025, the contract aimed to improve ‘affordable, continuous and stable energy access, particularly in remote island communities in eastern Indonesia.’
The Foreign Office contract that spent £6.9 million of taxpayer money on Indonesia's renewable energy programme
Gov.UK
Lastly, the corruption ridden nation of Somalia benefitted from UK taxpayers stumping up £25million for another ‘Green Urban Growth’ programme.
The programme, which is running from January 2025 to July 2030, aims to support Somalian cities to ‘become more inclusive and resilient to cope with rapid urbanisation and climate change.’
It will also help ‘harness green growth opportunities that contribute to poverty reduction and build longer-term resilience for Somalia's Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and the urban poor.’
In addition to the £25million, the contract has an extension option of 24 months and allows for an increase in value of up to an additional £25million.
The Foreign Office contract that spent £25 million of taxpayer money on Green Urban Growth in Somalia
Gov.UK
The contracts have drawn furious reaction from taxpayers who feel their contributions to the UK’s finances should be spent at home.
They point to the dire need to improve Britain’s struggling public services like the NHS, to fix faltering infrastructure like schools and roads, build more homes and support vulnerable British people.
A particular bone of contention Brits have is the government’s repeated claim there isn’t enough money to support pensioners this winter via the winter fuel payment.
The government slashed the payment for nine million pensioners in a move predicted to save £1.2billion.
However, the contracts highlighted in this article alone will cost the taxpayer north of £500million, roughly half the amount the government plans to save from slashing winter fuel.
It is worth remembering these contracts were mostly awarded when the Conservatives were in power, and they are being spent over three-to-five-year periods.
Another point frustrated Brits have highlighted is Labour’s massive tax rises, something Reeves and Starmer argue is needed to plug the £22billion black hole.
Some voters are angry the government is asking them to pay more rather than save the money by slashing foreign green initiatives like these.
Farmers, for example, are being slapped with death duties which the Treasury estimates will raise £520million a year by 2030.
Given farmers’ crucial role in society, Brits are angry the government didn’t raise £520million by suspending Green Urban Growth programmes in far flung countries instead.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "Taxpayers are sick of seeing their money funnelled into foreign ventures.
"Instead of fixing the issues that ordinary Brits care about, the government seems more interested in net zero projects abroad.
"These contacts should be defunded and the money spent on priorities at home."
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Brits are furious the government is spending money on green initiatives abroad while telling pensioners there isn't enough money to help keep you warm this winter
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It comes after Donald Trump and Elon Musk have been taking huge steps in America to eliminate what they call ‘government waste’ which includes most aid money sent abroad, particularly if it was for environmental reasons.
Many in the UK have been calling for the UK’s own version of DOGE to cut down on contracts like the ones in this article and save taxpayers money.
The UK has been taking a different approach and has actually increased its overseas spending.
Responding to Trump, Development Minister Annelise Dodds said the UK's commitment to international aid 'remains steadfast'.
The minister’s comments followed the publication of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) aid allocations for 2024/25, which saw total spending on official development assistance (ODA) rise to £9.3 billion from £8.1 billion in the previous year.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment.
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