John spoke at the Council of Europe to encourage the UK Government to sign up to the Council’s Development Bank. He particularly focussed on the work related to the promotion of the UN Sustainability Agenda and climate action.
John said: "This can have a really positive impact on the climate change projects I support at the Council and their impact on the vulnerable. This was a timely debate to review the Bank’s strategy and I was pleased to participate. The funding of Council projects in this way is an example of the beneficial work done through the Council."
In his speech John stressed the importance of the work of the Bank is in funding climate change projects. Other funding includes money to Eire for social housing and to France for groundbreaking cancer research.
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate. It participates in financing social projects, responds to emergency situations and contributes to improving the living conditions of the most disadvantaged population groups. It actively promotes social cohesion and strengthens social integration in Europe through the provision of financing and technical expertise for projects with a high social impact in its member states
The CEB contributes to the implementation of socially oriented investment projects through three sectoral lines of action:
- Sustainable and inclusive growth
- Integration of refugees, displaced persons and migrants
- Climate action: developing adaptation and mitigation measures
