The EU passes climate change burden to world’s poorest

The EU's Climate Change Communication, published today and due to be adopted by Member States in March, sets out Europe’s position for the post-2012 negotiations. The proposal recognizes that massive resources are needed to help developing countries adapt to climate impacts and adopt green technologies, and has promising ideas on how to raise the money. But it completely fails to specify how much money the EU and other rich countries will make available. As Commissioner Dimas today acknowledged, finance is a make-or-break part of a global climate agreement. Yet early funding commitments have been stripped out of the final document. Elise Ford, head of Oxfam International’s EU office, said: “Unless developing countries see hard cash on the table, there is a real danger they will simply walk away. It seems the Commission is pandering to Member States’ expected opposition to put money on the table – fueled by their worries about the impact of the recession. “A year ago, the European Union set a much needed minimum floor for negotiations with a call for a 20-30% mitigation cut by 2020. Now, instead of setting a target for adaptation finance too, the Commission has shrunk from any ambition, let alone responsibi...