John Gormley T.D, Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government and Ciaran Cuffe T.D, Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Climate Change, today (8 December 2010) announced that they had secured new and additional Government funding of €23m in 2010 to help developing countries meet the challenges of climate change.

The proposed contribution represents a substantial part of Ireland's response to the commitment by developed countries to provide "fast-start-finance" to assist developing countries in responding to climate change under international agreements.

In advance of the Copenhagen climate change conference in December 2009[1], Ireland committed to making a contribution of up to €100m towards a fast-start-finance package to be provided by developed countries over the three-year period 2010-12. Ireland's pledge arose out of the European Council meeting in December 2009 where a total EU pledge of €7.2bn was agreed.

"It goes without saying that Ireland is facing severe economic difficulties, which are impacting on the lives of our people," Minister Gormley said. "But we also have to remember that climate change is threatening the lives and safety of many through drought, flooding, lower agricultural productivity and more frequent and severe heat waves and storms. Ireland has a proud tradition of giving and assistance. We recognise as a nation that there are others in greater need, and that we have a responsibility in this regard."

Minister Cuffe stated: "A significant proportion of the worlds population continue to live in persistent severe poverty and hunger on a scale which is often unimaginable for many people in Ireland. Climate change is and will continue disproportionately affect those who are already poor and vulnerable and who have done least to cause the
problem.

For millions of people across Africa, Asia and Latin America, climate change is already having an impact on their daily lives. In countries such as Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and Ethiopia, climate impacts which include drought, increased flooding, storms and heat waves, as well as changes in growing seasons and regions, changes in water quality and quantity and sea-level rise are increasingly occurring events.  According to a recent World Health Organisation document "the global warming that has occurred since the 1970s was causing over 140,000 excess deaths annually by the year 2004". 

The term "fast-start-finance" arises from the fact that the funding to be provided over the short term (2010-12) is only an interim step in the context of the ongoing international negotiations.  Significantly greater funding will be required in the medium and longer term.  The Copenhagen Accord addresses the post-2012 situation with a commitment "to a goal of mobilising jointly USD 100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries."

The objective Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) is to deepen the policy dialogue between the EU and developing countries on climate change and to step up support to target countries to implement priority adaptation and mitigation measures and to integrate climate change issues into their development strategies.

Minister Cuffe added *For example, Fast-Start Financing seeks to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries by creating incentives for forest protection. About 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation. This approach provides a win-win situation for both developing and developed countries - preserving livelihoods, providing sustainable incomes, protecting forest ecosystems and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions*.

The Alliance is currently active in eighteen countries, including three of Ireland*s priority Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) countries Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mozambique.

[1] 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and 5th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.