African ministers lobby UK for control of climate aid

(Climate Change News, 3 Jul 2019) Ministers from Uganda and the Gambia met the UK’s development secretary to ask for more say over how climate finance is spent.

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Low-carbon projects in developing countries are being strangled by red tape, ministers from Uganda and the Gambia said they would tell the UK’s international development secretary.

While grateful for international support, the African politicians said has a message for secretary Rory Stewart that administrative costs charged by international agencies, such as the UN Development Programme, were unacceptably high.

Gambian environment minister Lamin Dibba told Climate Home News: “We would want to see more countries not only pledge [new money], but commit the resources and make them accessible. Sometimes it takes one or two years to follow a particular project.”

Germany and Norway have committed to doubling their contributions to the UN’s Green Climate Fund (GCF) as it seeks new finance this year. The UK has not yet announced a new contribution.

The UN typically charges 12 to 20% of funds for climate projects, while the World Bank Trust takes up 5% administrative fees added to management costs, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) told CHN.

Poorer countries have long argued money for climate projects is not a donation, but an obligation on the part of the wealthy nations that are overwhelmingly responsible for global warming.

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Climate Change News, 3 Jul 2019: African ministers lobby UK for control of climate aid