The United States Needs to Meet Its International Climate Finance Commitments

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the United States must fulfill its international climate finance commitments to maintain global credibility and address its historical responsibility for emissions. The brief highlights a gap between President Biden's 2021 pledge of $11.4 billion annually by 2024 and the actual appropriations provided by Congress, including the December 2022 omnibus budget bill. It emphasizes the urgent need for funding to support clean energy transitions, climate resilience, and the operationalization of the loss and damage fund established at COP27 to assist vulnerable nations facing severe climate-driven disasters.

• The United States is responsible for nearly 25% of the cumulative heat-trapping emissions driving climate change, while low-income nations like Pakistan, Somalia, Peru, and Vanuatu suffer the most severe disasters.
• There is a significant shortfall in US funding for international climate finance; despite President Biden's 2021 promise of $11.4 billion per year by 2024, Congress has not provided sufficient appropriations, including in the December 2022 omnibus budget bill.
• US inaction contributes to the failure of wealthy nations to meet the collective goal of providing $100 billion in annual financial assistance starting in 2020, which risks damaging trust with global partners.
• The United States agreed at COP27 to establish a loss and damage fund to support nations most vulnerable to climate extremes, specifically addressing severe impacts that exceed ordinary adaptation measures.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2023). The United States Needs to Meet Its International Climate Finance Commitments. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Climate%20leave%20behind_v2.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. The United States Needs to Meet Its International Climate Finance Commitments. 2023. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Climate%20leave%20behind_v2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=The United States Needs to Meet Its International Climate Finance Commitments |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Climate%20leave%20behind_v2.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2023united, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{The United States Needs to Meet Its International Climate Finance Commitments}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Climate%20leave%20behind_v2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }