Benjamin Dousa and Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (The Liberals) presented Sweden's upcoming international climate aid on Wednesday.
Sweden has already contributed billions to the UN's Green Climate Fund (GCF) and will continue with a multi-year contribution of a total of eight billion kronor between 2024 and 2027.
Sweden will also continue with 130 million each to global funds for the least developed countries, as well as one for climate adaptations, in 2024.
The contributions, together with a multi-year contribution of 200 million kronor to the fund for damages and losses due to climate change, are being presented by Sweden at the ongoing UN climate meeting in Baku.
"Doing our part"
The GCF provides support to low- and middle-income countries for climate investments to reduce emissions, but also to protect themselves from the effects of climate change.
The GCF has been able to show in reviews that it has additional effects. That it actually reduces emissions and that a large part of the money leads to actions on the ground, says Pourmokhtari.
The amounts are the same as Sweden promised to the global funds for the period 2019-2023. Since the sums have not been adjusted for inflation, it means a real decrease for the funds, even with the new addition for the fund for damages and losses.
Our financing is a very significant amount and I am convinced that the GCF will be very pleased to receive the news, says Pourmokhtari, who points out that the eight billion kronor make Sweden the largest donor per capita among the major donors.
Dousa believes that Sweden is now doing its part.
It's not a natural law that countries should provide such comprehensive support as Sweden does. And looking around the world now, many countries are cutting back on their aid and cutting back on their climate efforts.
Green Party: "Disappointing"
The Green Party's spokesperson Amanda Lind thinks in a written comment that it is "disappointing to hear the ministers' empty talk."
"Today's announcement appears to mean a reduction in support for the Green Climate Fund," she continues.
The government is setting up an inquiry to come up with proposals for measures to strengthen Swedish efforts to contribute to driving climate work in other countries where the potential for reducing emissions is greatest.
The inquiry will also map out opportunities for Swedish companies to contribute to the implementation of other countries' national climate plans.
The previous government doubled Sweden's contribution to the UN's Green Climate Fund (GCF) to 8 billion kronor for the period 2020-2023. It also promised 520 million each to the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) for the period 2020-2023.
The current government is promising 130 million each to AF and LDCF for this year, as well as 8 billion to GCF starting next year. It is also allocating 200 million to the new fund for damages and losses, starting next year.
Sources: The Government, UN's Sustainability Department
