Rich Countries Dodge Adaptation Fund Say FoE

At the UN climate talks in Poland, industrialised countries are dodging the issue of funding poorer countries' adaptation to climate change.

An expected outcome of the climate conference is an increase in the sources of revenue for the Adaptation Fund - the Kyoto Protocol’s only fund for enabling developing countries to adapt to climate change.

According to developing countries, as well as most civil society observers including Friends of the Earth International, the size of the Adaptation Fund is woefully inadequate. Despite calls for additional funds to be raised for a number of years, the EU, New Zealand and Norway have been avoiding the issue in Poznan by pushing back the deadline for committing money.

Friends of the Earth International Climate and Energy Campaigner Stephanie Long said: "Poorer countries face an increase in storms, floods, famines and droughts due to climate change, yet the pot of money that rich countries have put aside to deal with this is almost empty.

"The Adaptation Fund was finally agreed and established one year ago. Yet to date, developed countries have pledged less than US $300 million to it, a tiny fraction of the US $86 billion the UN says is needed. "To get a strong and fair deal in Copenhagen there must be trust between industrialised and developing countries – rich countries dodging their obligations on adaptation could jeopardise the whole agreement."