Biden’s commitments ‘far from what’s needed’ for the climate crisis now, says ActionAid

Commenting at COP27 on President of the USA, Joe Biden’s, speech, Kelly Stone, Senior Policy Analyst at ActionAid USA, said:

"Biden said the first piece of climate legislation he introduced was in 1986, but it’s now 2022 and the climate crisis is only getting worse. While some of the initiatives announced today are meaningful, including doubling the pledge to the Adaptation Fund, this is still far from what is needed which is the US doing its fair share. If the US government is going to live up to its claims of climate leadership, a lot more ambition is needed both at home and delivering on climate finance. Agreeing to a loss and damage finance facility here would be a good start."

On the topic of the Global Shield, Brandon Wu, Director of Policy and Campaigns at ActionAid USA, said:

“It’s good to see Biden acknowledge a need for loss and damage funding but initiatives like the Global Shield – which he said he would support –act as a distraction from the real finance needed to help people on the frontline of climate disasters.

Subsidies from Northern governments to Northern-owned insurance corporations shouldn’t be mistaken for a loss and damage financing facility designed to channel funds to vulnerable communities.”

To contact the ActionAid media team, email the press office.

Notes to Editor

About ActionAid

ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 15 million people living in more than 40 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty.