Coming out of the United Nations Climate Change Conference known as COP28, First Minister Minister Humza Yousaf announced new funding initiatives, which he says underlies Scotland’s commitment to global sustainability and development. 

Helping developing countries was a paramount issue at COP28, with a number of nations agreeing on the first day to contribute around $400 million towards poor countries that are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. £100m of the funding came from the UK. 

There are two key initiatives which will be funded through the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund: 

The KidsOR operating theatre service is set to receive £324,900 for the installation of solar energy systems at 15 children’s operating theatres across Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda. 

The solar energy systems, tailored for safe surgery in low-resource settings, will remove approximately 2.6 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere per operating room annually.

The Scottish Government will also allocate £250,000 to support mini-grids in Zambia, enhancing access to electricity. Additionally, the funding will aid Sustainable Energy for All, an international organisation partnered with the United Nations, in accelerating access to clean cooking methods in Rwanda. 

Clean cooking methods are crucial for reducing premature deaths attributed to household air pollution, a persistent issue affecting around 2.3 billion people globally. 

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“The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part as a good global citizen and helping to tackle global challenges like poverty, injustice and inequality,” said First Minister Yousaf

“These initiatives illustrate what that means in practice – whether it is providing energy security to ensure that paediatric operations can reliably go ahead, or access to cleaner methods of cooking to reduce premature deaths from household air pollution. 

“Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda are key partner countries for Scotland’s international development efforts. As a country that has long benefitted from the industrialisation which has contributed to the current climate crisis, it is only right that Scotland contributes its fair share to support countries that have been disproportionately impacted by its consequences, and ensure we can meet the aims of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals together.”