‘Give aid cash to green causes’

FOREIGN aid should be diverted to green projects to protect wildlife and tackle plastic waste, a Tory think-tank has said.

A £1billion-a-year fund, named after Sir David Attenborough, should be dedicated to protecting nature in developing countries, it urges. The report by think-tank Bright Blue and the Conservative Environment Network also calls for ‘greater action’ to tackle the scourge of plastic waste.

The money could be spent on protecting areas for wildlife in Commonwealth countries and conserving habitats for endangered species worldwide. The UK spends 0.7 per cent of economic output on overseas aid. The report says some of this should go to environmental causes.