Christian Aid has warned richer countries must “set their sights higher if COP26 will be judged a success” following the publication of a Climate Finance Delivery Plan that claims it will take until 2023 for richer countries to meet their commitment of $100 billion each year to support poorer countries to tackle the climate crisis.
Fionna Smyth, Head of Global Policy and Advocacy for Christian Aid, said:
“This lack of ambition is breathtaking. It is the people living on the frontline of the climate emergency who will bear the brunt.
“It is over a decade since the world’s richer countries agreed to $100bn a year in climate finance by 2020. It was already a drop in the ocean, yet still the target has been missed and is now set to be watered down.
“With days until COP26, richer countries must take responsibility for their contribution to the climate crisis and set their sights higher if COP26 will be judged a success.
“A minimum of $500 billion over 2020-24 must be collected, with at least half to support communities’ adaptation to the climate crisis. This cannot be a case of `jam tomorrow’. The money needs to start flowing now.
“A failure to deliver on climate finance not only puts the whole COP26 climate talks in jeopardy but risks leaving hundreds of millions of people unprotected from the climate crisis and plunging millions more into poverty.”
