President Obama has officially announced the U.S. will contribute $3 billion to a international pool of money aimed at helping developing countries deal with the impact of climate change.
In a speech delivered at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, Obama said the money would paid into the “Green Climate Fund” and used to help “vulnerable communities,” build early warning systems, storm surge defenses and other “climate-resilient” infrastructure.
The Washington Examiner reported Friday that Obama was expected to make the announcement in order to increase support from other countries in advance of next year’s climate talks in Paris, France.
Obama dedicated a significant part of his remarks to climate issues, telling the crowd the money would help third-world nations develop green energy plans that would “let them leap-frog some of the dirty industries that powered our development, go straight to a clean-energy economy that allows them to grow, create jobs and at the same time reduce their carbon pollution.”
The purpose of the Green Climate Fund, according to its website, is “to make a significant and ambitious contribution to the global efforts towards attaining the goals set by the international community to combat climate change.”
Obama this weekend will conclude a week-long tour of Pacific Rim nations that included a stop in China, where he secured a deal that calls for both nations to reduce carbon emissions. Under that plan, the United States pledged to cut carbon emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2025.
The move drew criticism from skeptics of man-made climate change and others who said the deal required little of China, which is the largest producer of carbon emissions and would not have to make reductions until 2030.
Obama told the crowd the deal with China sets up expectations for an international climate agreement in 2015.
“Them setting up a target sends a powerful message to the world that all countries, whether you are a developed country, a developing country, or somewhere in between, you’ve got to be able to overcome old divides, look squarely at the science and reach a strong global climate agreement next year,” Obama said. “And if China and the United States can agree on this, then the world can agree on this.”
Obama is expected to return to Washington D.C. on Sunday night.
