The United Kingdom (UK) prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson has renewed his call for richer countries to increase financial support to poorer ones fighting the effects of climate change,
Speaking at a United Nations ((UN) gathering in New York, the United States (US), the UKPM said he was “increasingly frustrated” at support offered to countries hit by global warming.
He added many richer countries had pledged “nowhere near enough”. a longstanding promise to give $100 billion ( E73 bn) a year to poorer countries has not been met.
Some 100 world leaders are meeting at the UN General Assembly this week, ahead of a key UN climate conference hosted in Glasgow, Scotland next month
Johnson said “history will judge” countries who “lacked the courage to step up” once the Glasgow conference of PartieS26, has
finished.
As far back as 2009, the developed world agreed it would provide $100billion a year by 2020 to help poorer countries deal with the effects of climate change.
But the organization for economic Co-operation and Development recently estimated that, by 2019, the figure had reached just over $79bn.
Addressing other leaders at the UN climate meeting, Johnson said the gap between what had been promised and what had been delivered “remains vast”.
“Too many major economies some represented here today, some absent- are lagging too far behind”. he added.
On his way to New York, Johnson had downplayed the chances of the $100billion target being hit by the Glasgow summit saying it was “six out of 10.”
However, US President Joe Biden’ climate envoy, John Kerry, has since raised hopes it could be met, hinting his boss could announce more money during his speech to the UN assembly on Tuesday.
Source: The Daily Times News_BBC_WEDNESDAY,SEPTEMBER 22, 2021