11/21/2013

Where did billions of dollars in aid for climate change go?

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The Washington Post has this headline: "Wealthy nations pledged billions to help the poor adapt to climate change. Where did it all go?"  
2010-2012: The first $35 billion in climate aid. Between 2010 and 2012, the world's wealthy nations say they provided $35 billion to help poorer countries adjust to climate change, as promised at Copenhagen. (You can see a full breakdown of these pledges from the World Resources Institute here.) . . .The United States, for instance, says it provided $7.5 billion in "fast start" climate finance between 2010 and 2012, spread out across more than a hundred countries. . . .Poorer nations have pressed for more aid to help adapt, particularly since they both face greater risks but are also less responsible for the carbon-dioxide emissions currently in the atmosphere. . . .
Look, I don't think that a warmer planet would on net be very beneficial, but assuming that you believe that it is bad, what is this "less responsible" claim?  Compare CO2 emissions per dollar of GDP for the US and China.  In 2008, CO2 KG per dollar of GDP was 126 percent higher in China than the US.  Earlier data for all countries is available here.



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