Friends of the Earth urges Biden to contribute US’ fair share of climate finance to developing countries

NEW YORK — At the UN General Assembly today, President Biden announced, among other Administration priorities, that the White House will work with Congress to double the provision of climate finance from the U.S. for developing countries. 

In response, Karen Orenstein, Director of the Climate & Energy Justice Program at Friends of the Earth U.S. issued the following statement:

We are in a climate emergency and the U.S. is throwing droplets at a fire. President Biden’s international climate finance announcement might seem ambitious given the paralyzing politics in Washington and a Congress still awash in fossil fuel money. However, the climate pollution the U.S. has produced is already causing suffering around the world. President Biden’s climate finance pledge today is extraordinarily insufficient compared to the need and out of line with what climate science and justice demand.

Along with other groups, Friends of the Earth U.S. has called for the U.S. to contribute at least $800 billion in international climate finance between 2021-2030, equally split among finance for mitigation, adaptation, and the loss and damage caused by irreversible climate change as a good faith down payment toward the U.S. fair share of international climate finance.

Communications contact: Kaela Bamberger, 202-222-0703, [email protected]