How the United States Can Remain Engaged in International Climate Finance

The briefing proposes the creation of 'America’s Climate Fund,' a nonfederal initiative to mobilize climate finance for low-income and vulnerable nations. While not intended to replace federal obligations or fill the $2 billion gap in Green Climate Fund promises, the fund would signal continued U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement. The proposal suggests housing the fund in a nonprofit to ensure tax deductibility and political stability, with contributions coming from corporations, philanthropies, and crowdfunding. Disbursal options include direct contributions to multilateral funds like the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund, or co-financing specific low-carbon and climate-resilient projects.

• Nonfederal U.S. initiatives, including cities, states, and companies, currently represent nearly half of the U.S. population and over half of the U.S. GDP, but have focused primarily on emissions reductions rather than international climate finance.
• The proposed America’s Climate Fund is designed to be a signal of commitment rather than a replacement for federal funding; it is unlikely to cover the $2 billion shortfall in U.S. promises to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
• To ensure tax deductibility for contributors and protect the initiative from political cycles, the document recommends that a nonprofit organization serve as the host for the fund.
• The fund could distribute resources through two primary methods: direct contributions to multilateral funds—such as the Adaptation Fund, which already accepts such donations—or by co-financing specific projects focused on priorities like water security or the phase-out of coal-fired power plants.

APA

World Resources Institute (2017). How the United States Can Remain Engaged in International Climate Finance. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-united-states-can-remain-engaged-international-climate-finance

Chicago

World Resources Institute. How the United States Can Remain Engaged in International Climate Finance. 2017. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-united-states-can-remain-engaged-international-climate-finance.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=How the United States Can Remain Engaged in International Climate Finance |date=11 December 2017 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/how-united-states-can-remain-engaged-international-climate-finance |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2017how, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{How the United States Can Remain Engaged in International Climate Finance}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2017}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/how-united-states-can-remain-engaged-international-climate-finance}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }