BRISBANE: President Barack Obama on Friday pledged a $3bn US contribution to an international fund to help poor countries cope with the effects of climate change, putting the issue front and centre of the G20 Leaders Summit in Australia.
The large size of the contribution took climate policy watchers by surprise and doubles what other countries had previously pledged ahead of a November 20 deadline.
“Along with other nations that have pledged support, we’ll help vulnerable communities with early-warning systems, stronger defences against storm surges, and climate-resilient infrastructure,” Obama said in remarks ahead of the official opening of the G20 summit.
“We’ll help farmers plant more durable crops. We’ll help developing economies reduce their carbon pollution and invest in clean energy.”
The timing of the announcement was seen as putting pressure Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is hosting the summit and once described climate science as “absolute crap”. Abbott had hoped the G20 summit would focus on growth and jobs.
The Green Climate Fund will work with private sector investment and help spur global markets in clean energy technologies, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and manufacturers including those from the United States.
Rich countries had pledged in 2009 to mobilise $100bn a year by 2020 to help developing countries tackle carbon emissions.
Germany and France had earlier pledged $1bn each, and Mexico, South Korea, Japan and others have pledged smaller amounts.
The UN has set an informal goal of raising $10bn for the fund before a meeting of environment ministers in Peru, next month. REUTERS
