President Donald Trump has hit hard at climate funding with calls in his draft budget for the U.S. to withdraw from all U.N. climate change programs, including the Green Climate Fund and Climate Investment Funds.
For aid programs specifically addressing issues associated with climate change, a cloud may now be hanging over their future. With a 28 percent cut proposed for the United States Agency for International Development, climate programs could be lost in the first round of cuts.
Following Australia’s first budget under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Australia similarly saw climate change shifted off the agenda. Its impact on the aid budget saw climate change downplayed as a priority, with terms trickling into programs associated with natural disasters, food security and agriculture.
About the author
Lisa Cornishlisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a former Devex Senior Reporter based in Canberra, where she focuses on the Australian aid community. Lisa has worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist and has been published throughout Australia in the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and online through news.com.au. Lisa additionally consults with Australian government providing data analytics, reporting and visualization services.
