Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today during the Major Economies Forum, President Biden announced a new $1 billion contribution to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a fund created to help developing countries reduce their climate pollution and adapt to the effects of the climate crisis. Today’s announcement brings the United States’ total contribution to the GCF to $2 billion, still well below the initial $3 billion President Obama pledged in 2014. Since 2014, other countries have led the way by fulfilling their initial commitments and making additional pledges to the Green Climate Fund.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous issued the following statement:
“The Sierra Club applauds the Biden Administration for hearing the pleas of the most vulnerable countries and moving to fulfill the United States’ GCF commitment. As other countries have made a second round of pledges and are preparing a third, Congress has the obligation to fulfill America’s pledge. This dereliction of duty continues to damage our standing and credibility in the world while the impacts of their dysfunction are borne by the world’s most vulnerable countries and communities.
“Congress must do their job and swiftly appropriate the remaining $1 billion commitment to the Green Climate Fund.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.