Countries agree on 10% UN climate budget rise
Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. Photo REUTERS
Countries agreed on Thursday to increase the UN climate body's budget by 10% for the next two years, a move the body welcomed as a commitment by governments to work together to address on climate change, with China's contribution rising.
The deal, agreed by nearly 200 countries - from Japan to Saudi Arabia, to small island nations like Fiji - at UN climate negotiations in Bonn, comes despite major funding cuts at other UN agencies, triggered in part by the US slashing its contributions, and political pushback on ambitious climate policies in European countries.
Countries agreed to a core budget of 81.5 million euros for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) over 2026-2027, up 10% from 2024-2025.
The core budget is funded by government contributions. The deal includes an increase in China's contribution, reflecting the country's economic growth. China, the world's second-biggest economy, would cover 20% of the new budget, up from 15% previously.
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