Germany contributed 60 million euros to a fund for countries particularly affected by climate change. The funds are intended to help them adapt to climate change. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) took such action World Climate Conference known in Belem, Brazil. “We will continue to support vulnerable countries,” he said.
Germany is sticking to a decision at last year’s World Climate Conference which stated that developing countries would receive 258 billion euros a year until 2035 to fight climate change.
Climate change and adapt to the impact, Schneider said. Adaptation measures must be implemented more quickly to support communities and ecosystems. “When people cannot adapt to new climate conditions, there is a risk of hunger, poverty, and people being forced to leave their homes,” said Schneider.
Global warming causes extreme weather such as floods, droughts, forest fires and storms to occur more frequently. According to scientists, dangerous infectious diseases also spread as temperatures rise. The funds are intended to support adaptation measures, such as the development of early warning systems for extreme weather or climate-resilient farming methods in agriculture.
Developing countries are demanding that aid payments be tripled
The main topic of discussion at this year’s climate conference was global adaptation goals and their implementation. Developing countries have demanded that industrialized countries triple aid payments to 103 billion euros a year by 2030.
Germany had pledged 60 million euros at the World Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan last year. In the past 18 years, the fund has reportedly invested around 1.2 billion euros in around 200 projects in 108 countries, and reached more than 50 million people. According to government information, Germany is the largest donor. In contrast to many other climate initiatives, the Adaptation Fund involves grants, not loans.
Aid and environmental organizations welcomed Germany’s commitment
Several aid and environmental organizations were pleased by the announcement. “Germany has been a reliable donor for many years, and the federal government is showing responsibility towards the most vulnerable groups of society,” said “Bread for the World” climate expert Sabine Minninger. With the pledge, Germany is putting pressure on other countries that have not yet contributed, said Oxfam expert Jan Kowalzig.
The two-week world climate conference in Belem will run until November 21. Delegates from more than 190 countries took part in the meeting.
