Prime minister had previously disparaged the international fund designed to help poor countries adapt to climate change, and said Australia would not contribute.
The federal government has pledged $200m over four years from its existing aid budget to the international Green Climate Fund, which Tony Abbott previously disparaged as a “Bob Brown bank on an international scale”.
The announcement represents another reversal by the government. At the time of the G20 meeting last month the prime minister resisted mounting global pressure to commit to the fund, designed to help poor countries adapt to climate change.
He argued Australia was already spending $2.5bn on its domestic Direct Action fund and providing $10bn in capital to a so-called “green bank” – which he is trying to abolish.
The change of position was announced on Tuesday, as foreign minister Julie Bishop prepared to address the United Nations conference on climate change in Lima – a meeting the prime minister’s office initially refused to allow her to attend.
Abbott and Bishop made the announcement in a joint statement.
“The pledge to the Green Climate Fund will facilitate private sector-led economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region with a particular focus on investment in infrastructure, energy, forestry … and emissions reduction programmes.”
More on: www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/green-climate-fund-200m-australia-tony-abbott-about-turn
