The UK won’t meet its ambitious climate goals by making spending cuts | Larry Elliott

Boris Johnson may talk a good game on the climate crisis, but ordinary people need financial support to make changes

There are many reasons why the government's decision to cut the aid budget is dumb. High among them is the failure to see the link between poverty and climate change. If you want to convince people of the need to save the planet, it is a good idea to make sure first that they are not going hungry, have access to running water and can put their children through school.

The link between social justice and the green agenda applies domestically as well. Millions of people in Britain count the pennies each week because they are struggling to get by. Exhorting them to change their lifestyles or pay more to heat their homes is not enough. If the government is to meet its ambitious targets people who are less well-off are going to need plenty of help, but as things stand they are not getting it.

Related: We're on a collision course with the planet. But with public support, that can change | Larry Elliott

Larry Elliott is the Guardian's economics editor