ActionAid USA applauds the introduction of the Green Climate Fund Authorization Act in the Senate by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). This bill, previously introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) each Congress since 2019, recognizes the importance of providing international climate finance as a core element of the U.S. fair share of global climate action, beginning with $4 billion per year to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The bill also acknowledges that this sum falls far short of the needed funding.
Brandon Wu, ActionAid USA’s Director of Policy and Campaigns and a former elected civil society observer on the GCF Board, said:
“The U.S. paying its fair share to the Green Climate Fund is a moral imperative – supporting communities around the world who are suffering from a climate crisis they had no role in creating. It is also an absolute practical necessity to respond to that crisis, which requires a global response – including in countries that simply cannot afford to make the changes needed without international support. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of massively scaled up climate finance, and Sen. Merkley’s bill is a good first step towards a more just and sustainable future.”