Netherlands adds €100m to global Green Climate Fund

The Netherlands is paying 100 million euros into the global Green Climate Fund. The money from this fund is to help poor countries tackle the impacts of climate change. Minister Lilianne Ploumen of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation made this announcement during a visit to Rwanda. The money for the UN fund comes from her budget. More countries are making their contribution to the Green Climate Fund known in preparation for the climate summit in Peru in December. "With this contribution the Netherlands shows that the consequences these countries suffer from climate change, need to be addressed", says State Secretary Wilma Mansveld of Environment. During the climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009 the international community agreed to establish a fund which will help poor countries with climate projects. From 2020 the fund must annually be filled with 100 billion dollars. The climate fund is also filled by the business community. "Wealthy countries, companies and other organizations declare themselves together in solidarity with countries that do not have the money or the knowledge to protect itself against the changing climate." says Mansveld. At the request of the Netherlands, according to Ploumen, gender equality and poverty reduction is also looked at when the climate fund finances projects. The summit in Lima, Peru is the prelude to the big climate summit in Paris next year. There a new international climate agreement must be established as a successor to the Kyoto Accord from 1997.