Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Senate appropriations committee voted for a budget amendment to reinstate $10 million in funding for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international body that oversees the Paris Climate Agreement. The committee rejected an amendment to provide $750 million to the Green Climate Fund, which would provide assistance for countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis.
Donald Trump previously proposed cutting funding for the UNFCCC in his budget and announced the U.S. would be withdrawing from the Paris Agreement in early June.
In response, Sierra Club Global Climate Policy Director John Coequyt released the following statement:
"We applaud these Senators for doing their jobs and acting in the best interest of the American people to fund the UNFCCC. The climate crisis is a global issue that every country must address head-on, and it is key that the United States step up and do its part. The Green Climate Fund provides critical assistance for countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate disruption, and if the United States wants to be considered a global leader, it must remain a reliable partner to these countries by fully funding this vital program.
“Donald Trump’s dangerously misguided climate denial is not the solution to U.S. diplomacy, and we urge every lawmaker to put our communities, families, and the environment first.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.