Valletta (Malta) : Ahead of the crucial climate conference in Paris, Commonwealth countries have pledged billions of dollars to fight global warming including the highest $ 2 billion assistance by Canada to help developing countries limit green-house gas emissions. At a special session on climate change at the Commonwealth Summit here, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (in pic) said his country will help developing nations combat climate change and boost their clean energy production as he pledged nearly two billion US dollars over five years, doubling its previous commitment.
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat unveiled a $ 1 billion Commonwealth Green Finance Facility to support environmental projects within the 53-nation bloc, which met in this picturesque Mediterranean island city in South of Europe.
Separately, the UK has committed 21 million pounds for disaster management and 5.5 million pounds for the ocean-based economy. Australia has committed $ 1 million for a new Commonwealth idea — a Climate Finance Access Hub. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj represented India at the summit of the 53-nation grouping which focused mainly on ways to tackle terrorism and combat climate change.
India has been consistently maintaining that developed countries must ensure financing and technology transfer to developing countries to help them bringing down carbon emission. During negotiations, India took the lead in articulating concerns of the developing countries in finalising approach of the Commonwealth countries in dealing with climate change.
It argued that any ambitious statement emanating from the Commonwealth should be tempered with realism as the discussions in the run up to the COP 21 at Paris have been complex and difficult. Indian officials argued that the Commonwealth must not pre-judge outcome of the negotiations leading to Paris climate conference and that commitment of the rich nations towards small islands and poor countries must go beyond the current level.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said the financial assistance would help some of the most vulnerable countries in the Commonwealth. “Thirty-one of our 53 members are small states and 25 are small island developing states, which are most vulnerable to Climate change.
“Many of our members are struggling to cope with the devastating effects of climate change. Islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean are having to deal with rising sea levels that could drive them from their homelands, and an onslaught of increased violent storms that is hampering their development,” he said.
