Irish Overseas Development Minister Colm Brophy took a swipe at US President Joe Biden at COP27 in Egypt today.
Speaking to the press about the failings of the world climate summit he said, “President Biden said this is a world effort, but there is no point in keeping on saying that unless you actually come out of here and live it in a meaningful way”.
He made the comment after recalling a ‘horrendous’ experience when he met a mother whose baby was dying as a result of climate change in the Horn of Africa six weeks ago.
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“There is something about standing, watching a mother knowing her child could be dead within 48 hours,” he said.
“Absolutely nothing prepares you to stand a couple of centimetres away from somebody who’s holding a baby in their arms, whose legs are as wide as your fingers and being told by a doctor the only thing that will keep their child alive is a nutrition pack - and that because of where the world focus is at the moment, the international world is not focusing on Africa.
“It is focusing in large on Ukraine and obviously Ukraine is a huge issue and there’s a need for unique commitments there.
“But if we wait, and this is what really scares me, until the moment where you have the Bob Geldof moment where the world’s cameras are showing up - that’s complete and utter failure.
“One man said to me ‘our cattle are dead, the grass is dead, the trees are dying and I have a feeling if no one helps us, we’ll be the next’,” he added.
“This is what happens when traditional rains never happen and they are not going to happen again because climate change has made sure that won’t happen.
“It’s not like a famine in the 80s where you can go back, there is no going back."
The minister said the world owes suffering countries immediate help and financial support for “loss and damage” as “what is happening in the Horn of Africa is an entirely climate-related, manmade catastrophe".
“But at the very top level, there still seems to be a lack of willingness to implement," he added.
“We are on the verge of having a situation where there’s more promises and good intentions made in two weeks of COP, than are made in the first two weeks of January and they are forgotten just as quick.
“The spirit of Paris, as far as I’m concerned, is nearly dead and buried and unless you get, at the absolute top level.
“I heard Secretary Kerry say no one country has enough money, there’s not enough trillions in the world to do it, but there is enough collectively if the world is willing to act.
While he praised the rise in US aid under Biden, he also raised concerns about US media reports saying loss and damage funding is “not on, not happening’.
“The Democrats wouldn’t have bought that if they were controlling congress and that gives to me a clear message of the extent and the depth of what we are trying to work with.”
Yet when President Biden took to the stage at COP27 in Egypt there was no mention of loss and damage in his speech despite the assertion: “The US has acted, everyone has to act, it’s a duty and responsibility of global leadership.”
He did announce $100m for adaptation, support for early warning systems in Africa and strengthening food security as well as helping Egypt launch a new training centre to help them and others across the continent transition to renewables.
Trocaire’s Siobhan Curran believes Ireland is not delivering “our fair share either” when it comes to climate finance.
She said: “The latest figures show we have delivered €88.3 of a promised €225m and we saw in budget 2023 a commitment to €25 and an extra €10m by DECC.
“We are not reaching our €225 million and our fairshare is estimated at €520m and that’s a fair share of a figure that’s very low on the global scale.
“What we are doing well is the focus of our climate finance... on adaptation with grant based finance.
“Overall it’s estimated that 70% of climate finance is in the form of loans and it’s pushing countries into debt.”
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