{"id":52529,"date":"2024-08-16T14:37:19","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T13:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=52529"},"modified":"2024-08-20T13:46:32","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T12:46:32","slug":"as-swiss-propose-ways-to-expand-climate-finance-donors-academics-urge-new-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2024\/08\/16\/as-swiss-propose-ways-to-expand-climate-finance-donors-academics-urge-new-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Switzerland and Canada propose ways to expand climate finance donors"},"content":{"rendered":"

As diplomats get ready to restart talks next month over the new UN climate finance target, the question of who should be putting money into the pot looms large over the negotiations.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most developing countries offer a straightforward answer: keep the status quo, meaning only the countries classified as industrialised when the UN climate treaty was adopted in 1992.<\/p>\n

But this club of developed nations, vocally led by the European Union and the United States, argues that the world has changed dramatically over the past three decades.<\/p>\n

They now want other countries that have become wealthier – and more polluting – to pitch in for the post-2025 New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), set to be agreed at the COP29 climate summit in Baku this November.<\/p>\n

China targeted<\/h3>\n

The EU wrote this week, in a document<\/a> submitted as part of the NCQG negotiations, that \u201cthe collective goal can only be reached if parties with high [greenhouse gas]-emissions and economic capabilities join the effort\u201d.<\/p>\n

The US echoed that position in its latest submission<\/a>, arguing that \u201cthose with the capacity to support others\u201d in pursuing action to cut emissions and boost climate resilience \u201cmust also be accountable\u201d for delivering on the climate finance target.<\/p>\n

But, as governments polish their arguments ahead of the next round of talks in mid-September, climate finance experts warn of an uphill battle to get everyone to agree to a fair and accurate way to broaden the donor base.<\/p>\n

FAO draft report<\/strong> backs growth of livestock industry despite emissions <\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For instance, as the world’s top polluter and the second-largest economy, China is the primary target of the finger-pointing. But, when the country’s emissions and wealth are divided by its enormous population, China does not rank among the main candidates for an expanded contributors’ pool, according to climate finance studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At annual climate talks in the German city of Bonn in June, China’s negotiator reacted angrily<\/a> at suggestions his country should become a donor. \u201cWe have no intention to make your number look good or be part of your responsibility as we are doing all we can to save the world,” he said.<\/p>\n

Who pays?<\/h3>\n

Switzerland and Canada have been the first nations to propose precise criteria to expand the list of contributors beyond developed countries.<\/p>\n

The Swiss negotiators pitched two detailed metrics in their latest submission<\/a> early this month.<\/p>\n

The first would target the ten largest current emitters of carbon dioxide that also have a gross national income (GNI) per capita \u2013 adjusted for purchasing power parity \u2013 of more than $22,000.<\/p>\n

Under this measure, Saudi Arabia and Russia would be included. China would too if it is calculated based on current international dollars, which Climate Home understands would be the Swiss intention, even though the proposal does not specify.<\/p>\n

But China would be excluded if GNI per capita were based on constant 2021 international dollars, highlighting the ambiguity of the proposals at this point.<\/p>\n

Populous nations with large absolute emissions like India, Indonesia, Brazil and Iran would be left out because the average wealth of their residents falls below the threshold, according to World Bank data.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n