Last week, the Obama administration announced a $500 million payment to the UN’s Green Climate Fund, its second $500 million contribution. This comes in the wake of “another milestone for a changing planet”:
Scientists reported [last week] that the Earth reached its highest temperature on record in 2016, trouncing a record set only a year earlier, which beat one set in 2014. It is the first time in the modern era of global warming data that temperatures have blown past the previous record three years in a row.
Dan Misleh, the executive director of the Catholic Climate Covenant, praised the contribution and called for continued support for the fund:
Poor developing nations are most harmed by the effects of climate change, but rich developed nations like the U.S. are most responsible for causing climate change. Support for the Green Climate Fund is a way for the U.S. to live in justice and solidarity with the developing world, and the Catholic Climate Covenant applauds this latest contribution from the State Department. Catholic Climate Covenant also calls on the incoming Trump administration to honor the United States’ pledge to the Green Climate Fund and support policies to address climate change….
Especially since the U.S. continues to be among the world’s highest greenhouse gas polluters, we need to pair international support for the Green Climate Fund with domestic policies to reduce our own pollution. The Clean Power Plan, which would reduce carbon pollution from power plants 30 percent by 2030, is one important policy supported by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Catholic Relief Services praised the decision, as well:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) welcomes the announcement this week by the Obama Administration that additional funding will be made available towards fulfilling the United States’ pledge of $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund.
“This transfer of $500 million to the fund demonstrates our country’s ongoing compassion and commitment to the poor around the world,” said Bill O’Keefe, CRS Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy. “The Green Climate Fund is an important resource that helps communities in developing countries prepare for the ill effects of climate change, like increasing droughts that undermine the livelihoods of small farmers.”