Some of €100m climate change fund likely to come from Irish Aid budget

AT LEAST some of the €100 million promised by the Government for the EU’s programme to fund climate change relief in developing countries will come from the State’s aid budget, it has been indicated.

Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power yesterday promised that “substantial new and additional funding” would be provided as part of the package, but refused to commit the Government to 100 per cent funding from outside the Irish Aid budget. Mr Power, who was in Copenhagen yesterday for the UN climate change summit, said the exact make-up and source of the money to be provided for the EU’s “fast-start” programme would be determined by Government.

He was unavailable for interview and a spokeswoman was unable to say when a decision would be taken on the matter.

Mr Power said in a statement that, as development and climate change were inextricably linked, Irish Aid’s focus on climate-change adaptation would be increased.

“It is also crucial that we maximise the knowledge and experience gained within our development programmes to ensure that climate finance is delivered in a timely and effective manner. We will not reach our development goals unless we address the additional challenge of climate change.

“Conversely, nor will we be successful in supporting the climate change actions of our partners in developing countries unless we make full use of our experience of delivering aid in an effective and transparent manner.”

Mr Power met representatives of Trócaire and Oxfam International while in Copenhagen to discuss Ireland’s response to climate change and its impact on developing countries.

Afterwards, Niamh Garvey, Trócaire’s climate change policy adviser, said Ireland seemed to be “sitting on the fence” on the issue of committing additional funding to climate change. She said recycling aid money for climate change would undermine Ireland’s attempts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals.

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