Greens/Hammer: With additional support for climate adaptation, Austria is assuming its historic responsibility

2023-12-09 12:10:53

Announcement of an additional 35 million euros for adaptation measures and early warning systems at the climate conference in Dubai

Dubai (OTS) – “With the additional 35 million euros announced today for measures to deal with the climate crisis in countries in the global south, we are assuming our historic responsibility and are specifically helping those people who are already massively affected by the climate crisis,” says Lukas Hammer, climate protection spokesman Greens, about the financial resources announced today by Climate Protection Minister Gewessler on the sidelines of the UN World Climate Conference in Dubai.

Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler announced today in her speech to the plenary session of the World Climate Conference that Austria will provide an additional 35 million euros for adaptation measures and early warning systems. Of this, 20 million will go to the Adaptation Fund, 12 million to the World Food Program and another three million to expand the early warning system CREWS (Climate Risk & Early Warning Systems).

“We have already massively increased the funding for the Green Climate Fund for international climate financing from 30 million to 160 million euros. “With the additional funding announced today, we can support the world’s most vulnerable countries in adapting to the consequences of the climate crisis and protecting themselves from increasing catastrophic events,” says Hammer, who, as chairman of the Environment Committee, is part of the Austrian delegation to the climate conference.

“The climate crisis is a global challenge whose effects we are feeling globally. But we are not all affected equally and certainly do not have the same opportunities to adapt to the effects of the climate crisis. Countries in the global south are already suffering the most from the consequences of the climate crisis, but have contributed the least to the destruction of our climate. They are therefore right to demand more support from countries in the global north, from countries like Austria. It is a question of solidarity and historical justice that we are making a decisive contribution to climate financing here,” said Hammer.

“The fact that the World Food Program is also being supported with 12 million euros is particularly important because more than 330 million people already suffer from acute hunger. This number will increase even further due to the effects of the climate crisis. It is therefore essential that we make a contribution here. This money can be used to expand early warning systems and make food systems more climate-friendly, which directly supports the particularly affected population in the Sahel zone,” emphasizes Hammer and concludes: “It has been clear for a long time: the climate crisis will not only affect us in the distant future . It is already a bitter reality for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Our support is necessary because international climate protection is not possible without climate justice.”