Europe pledges euro 7.2b
Saturday, 12 December 2009
BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (AFP): Europe will give 7.2 billion euros (10.6 billion dollars) to help developing nations tackle climate change, the EU presidency announced Friday, hoping to boost UN climate talks in Copenhagen.
"The EU total is equal to 2.4 billion euros per year," over the next three years, with voluntary pledges coming in from all 27 EU member states, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said after a two-day summit in Brussels.
The aid is Europe's contribution to helping the developing world adapt to global warming from 2010 to 2012.
Europe hopes it will encourage more action at the UN climate change conference under way in Copenhagen, where funding the global warming fight has become a major sticking point.
"What we are seeing today is a very significant move forward in the search for a Copenhagen agreement," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who announced the biggest national contribution of 1.2 billion pounds (1.3 billion euros, two billion dollars).
France all but matched Britain's contribution which covers the three-year period before post-Copenhagen funding kicks in.
In the Danish capital, quick reaction came for UN climate chief Yvo de Boer on Friday who called it a major boost to the negotiations for a global climate deal.
"One of the things that has been holding this process back is lack of clarity on how short-term financial support is going to be provided to developing countries," de Boer said.
"And the fact that Europe is going to put a figure on the table will, I think, be hugely encouraging to the process."
Meanwhile, Brown's office added that Britain would boost its contribution further "if others are equally ambitious in Copenhagen."
"The EU total is equal to 2.4 billion euros per year," over the next three years, with voluntary pledges coming in from all 27 EU member states, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said after a two-day summit in Brussels.
The aid is Europe's contribution to helping the developing world adapt to global warming from 2010 to 2012.
Europe hopes it will encourage more action at the UN climate change conference under way in Copenhagen, where funding the global warming fight has become a major sticking point.
"What we are seeing today is a very significant move forward in the search for a Copenhagen agreement," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who announced the biggest national contribution of 1.2 billion pounds (1.3 billion euros, two billion dollars).
France all but matched Britain's contribution which covers the three-year period before post-Copenhagen funding kicks in.
In the Danish capital, quick reaction came for UN climate chief Yvo de Boer on Friday who called it a major boost to the negotiations for a global climate deal.
"One of the things that has been holding this process back is lack of clarity on how short-term financial support is going to be provided to developing countries," de Boer said.
"And the fact that Europe is going to put a figure on the table will, I think, be hugely encouraging to the process."
Meanwhile, Brown's office added that Britain would boost its contribution further "if others are equally ambitious in Copenhagen."