Only 3% of International Climate Aid Going to Transitioning Communities: ‘This Is Absurd’

Less than 3% of international aid to slash carbon emissions is supporting a “just transition” for workers and communities away from polluting industries, according to a new report.

Released one week before the start of major United Nations climate negotiations in Belém, Brazil, the analysis from the climate and development non-profit ActionAid warns that the world’s response to the climate crisis risks deepening inequality rather than addressing it.

It also reveals a “hidden reason that we’ve not seen climate action at scale”, said Teresa Anderson, the organization’s global climate justice lead.

“People are apparently being forced to choose between a safe job and a secure job and a safe planet,” she said. “These projects aren’t doing nearly enough to reassure people that they don’t have to make that choice.”

The report authors analyzed publicly available information on every approved carbon mitigation-focused project being financed by the world’s two major multilateral climate funds: 178 from the UN-backed Green Climate Fund, and 466 from the Climate Investment Funds, which were established by the World Bank and regional development banks.

They then assessed the nearly 650 projects against a set of indicators, using a computer program that was then fact-checked by hand. Criteria included whether or not a project demonstrated meaningful participation from workers, women and affected communities; promoted systemic shifts away from fossil fuels and highly polluting industrial agriculture; incorporated plans for re-skilling or livelihood support; and addressed inequality.