subscribe Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Subscribe now
US president Donald Trump. Picture: REUTERS/ALLISON ROBBERT
US president Donald Trump. Picture: REUTERS/ALLISON ROBBERT

Washington — Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg’s philanthropy and other US funders said on Thursday they will cover US financial obligations to the UN climate framework after President Donald Trump called for the US to withdraw — for a second time — from the Paris climate agreement.

Bloomberg, a media billionaire who also serves as a UN special envoy on climate change, announced Bloomberg Philanthropies would once again cover the amount of money the US owes each year to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and ensure the US meets its emissions reporting obligations to the body despite the pullback from global climate diplomacy under Trump.

“From 2017 to 2020, during a period of federal inaction, cities, states, businesses and the public rose to the challenge to uphold our nation’s commitments — and now, we are ready to do it again,” said Bloomberg, who added that his organisation also invested in supporting local leaders, bolstering data to track emissions and building coalitions across public and private sectors to carry on US climate action.

Trump said he would move to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement and end all of the country’s international climate financial commitments in one of his first executive orders on Monday. To fill the void, a number of US states, cities and businesses committed to continue to achieve Paris climate goals.

The US paid its €7.2m required contribution to the UNFCCC secretariat for 2024, and also paid off €3.4m arrears for 2010-2023.

The secretariat, set up under the 1992 UNFCCC treaty, is the world’s main body for co-ordinating international efforts to reduce climate-warming emissions and staging summits where countries can hold one another accountable. It is experiencing a severe budget shortfall, according to a Reuters analysis of documents from the world body. 

Reuters

subscribe Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.