Ban on UK aid money funding coal mines or power stations abroad in green crackdown Boris Johnson is announcing the new policy at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London

British aid money will no longer be spent on exploiting coal abroad, Boris Johnson will announce on Monday in a bid to shore up his green credentials.

The Prime Minister will ban the use of UK funding to pay for mining or burning coal in developing nations. The move comes after persistent claims Britain is “outsourcing” climate emissions by reducing its own levels of CO2 while importing goods from abroad which produce high emissions in other countries.

Green groups welcomed the announcement but called on the Government to go further by withdrawing funding from oil and gas as well.

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African nations summit

Mr Johnson will today host 16 leaders from Africa, including the presidents of Egypt, Nigeria and Kenya, at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London.

He will tell them that the UK should be the “investment partner of choice” for African countries after Brexit. The event will include a reception at Buckingham Palace tonight attended by Prince William.

In his speech, the Prime Minister will say that the UK will no longer provide Official Development Assistance or export credit for thermal coal mining or coal power plants. The change of policy is designed to counter criticism of Britain for supporting the fossil fuel industry around the world even while emissions in this country continue to fall.

John Sauven, the executive director of Greenpeace, told i: “It’s great that in the middle of a climate emergency the UK government is finally putting a stop to taxpayers’ money being used to support coal plants and mines abroad. But if Britain wants to lead by example, it should also urgently phase out support for oil and gas developments, which are pushing the world closer to climate chaos.”

Solar energy

The Department for International Development is funding access to solar energy in Africa, where demand for electricity is growing sharply. It is also spending £200m to improve trade infrastructure such as upgrades to border posts and roads, and paying £45m to help young Africans access the internet.

The summit will see private-sector deals announced including a £167m project from Diageo to build new breweries in Kenya, and a contract for Dorset-based Low Energy Designs to install smart street lighting in Nigeria.

Ministers are keen to build new relationships with trading partners outside Europe after Brexit. Economists believe that leaving the single market and customs union will make trade with the EU significantly harder, meaning the economy will suffer if the UK cannot increase its trade with the rest of the world.