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Poor Nations Stiffed on Climate Pledges

Billions in promised cash unaccounted for

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 25, 2009 4:28 AM CST

(Newser) – Huge sums of money promised by EU countries to help poor nations cope with climate change have melted away faster than Arctic ice. The EU and five other industrialized nations promised developing countries $410 million a year in the 2001 Bonn declaration, but the UN funds set up to deal with the funds have received only $260 million in the 8 years since, a BBC investigation finds.

Not only have the funds not materialized, but it's impossible to pin down what happened to the money. EU officials say they met their end of the bargain and spent the promised money on other deals separate from the UN funds, although they admit that they can't provide any data to prove this. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon accuses the nations of breaking their promises. "There is an issue of trust," he said.

The carcass of a buffalo that  had died due to drought lies in front of flamingos, on the shore of lake Nakuru in Kenya.
The carcass of a buffalo that had died due to drought lies in front of flamingos, on the shore of lake Nakuru in Kenya.   (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)
A child from the Turkana area of Kanukurdio heads to meet Oxfam workers to find out when the next aid delivery will arrive near Lodwar, Kenya.
A child from the Turkana area of Kanukurdio heads to meet Oxfam workers to find out when the next aid delivery will arrive near Lodwar, Kenya.   (Getty Images)
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These numbers don't match the $410 million per year. Otherwise, we'd be handling billions of dollars by now. - UN fund administrator Boni Biagini

We feel frustrated, we feel betrayed. - Richard Myungi,
climate change negotiator
for the Least Developing Countries

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
MarkFL
Nov 26, 2009 1:31 AM CST
Timinator is back and in full on moron mode. If you are referring to the stolen emails you obviously paid absolutely no attention to any credible news source on this one. You are still firmly in the camp of those who have no scientific evidence but you dislike the implications of climate change. The only way to disprove the climatologists on this one is to conduct some actual research. You have none so you are digging up 10 year old emails that have clearly shown absolutely nothing to change the debate. It is funny how conservatives are working tirelessly to destroy the scientific process and ignore the evidence and as their scheme is working they complain that scientist are ignoring evidence and not following the process! You and I can legitimately agree on one thing Tim-o: the notion of what should be done about climate change is an open question that requires a political solution that balances risk and expense. However, conservatives need to stop their anti-science rhetoric just because they don't like the outcome. Do some peer reviewed research or shut your freakin' trap! Not wanting carbon credits does nothing to discredit the evidence for global warming. Unfortunately conservatives are totally ignorant of the scientific method so we must suffer through personal and political attacks posing as a scientific argument. Make your case against cap and trade all you want but stop embarrassing yourselves by exposing your scientific ignorance in the process. You climate change deniers need to line up with the evolution deniers (which I am sure you are one) since you are clearly starting with the outcome and trying to squeeze the evidence in to fit it.
newsrmandan
Nov 25, 2009 10:49 AM CST
Stop the aid start the trade.
spraynard
Nov 25, 2009 3:04 AM CST
Poe's law.

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