Sunak to tell G7 reform needed to deliver sustainable development and AI

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will tell world leaders they must unlock funding for sustainable development and harness the benefits of AI on the second day of the G7 summit in Italy.

He will announce funding which could top £100 million to help deliver clean energy transitions with a £20 million expansion of an artificial intelligence (AI) development scheme into Asia.

Mr Sunak will tell a session focused on artificial intelligence and energy, Africa and the Mediterranean on Friday that the international financial system needs reforming to unlock finance required to accelerate sustainable development goals and strengthen the voices of the most vulnerable.

He said: “The UK is committed to driving a more effective international system that improves lives for people across the globe and at home.

“The green transition and the development of AI are key components of this, and the funding announced today will help ensure that these seismic changes happen in a way that works for all.”

The multi-year Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding includes £57 million to the Climate Compatible Growth programme, which will accelerate the roll-out of improved, climate resilient infrastructure in developing countries across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia with the help of UK expertise.

Up to £35 million will go to the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa to catalyse greater investment into sustainable infrastructure projects across the continent while a partnership with the World Bank and the EU will support African regional electricity transmission and strengthen climate resilience with £15 million for the Zambian side of the Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector as part of a 300 million dollar (£235 million) project to link power supplies in southern and east Africa.

The funding also includes £500,000 for an initiative to support planning, prioritisation and implementation of green infrastructure initiatives between the UK, Kenya and the wider G7, as well as a £300,000 contribution for mapping by the British Geological Survey in Angola.

The AI for Development programme was launched at the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit in November 2023 to fund safe and responsible AI projects for development around the world, beginning in Africa.

A partnership between the UK and Canada, with support from the US, Australia and other partners,  is aimed at ensuring artificial intelligence technology is accessible across the globe and delivering AI labs to train the next generation.