While ARRCC is pleased to see the movement that the Government has made on a price on pollution, we are concerned that the Government hasn't yet taken a strong enough approach to adaptation financing for developing countries already facing the effects of climate change. ARRCC has therefore written to the Prime Minister regarding their policies for adaptation financing.

ARRCC encourages its members to read the letter below, and consider writing their own letter. Some helpful hints have been put together to assist you in writing your letter - see them here. 

Monday, 31st October, 2011

The Hon. Julia Gillard
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
   

Dear Prime Minister.

With the UN climate negotiations taking place in December, we urge the Australian Government to do much more to assist developing countries to access adaptation financing.

The Government is to be commended for the $599,000 committed for the three year period, 2010 – 2012, to the Green Climate Fund agreed upon at Cancun. However, with Australia's comparatively economy and the fact that we are the OECD country with the highest per capita emissions, we have a moral obligation to do much more. Using Oxfam International calculations (2009) as a guide, if Australia were to pay its "fair share" into the fund, we would be committing over $2 billion p.a. It is known that the fund will have to grow to receive anything close to $100 billion annually, and Australia should play its part.

Furthermore, Australian negotiators should support calls from developing countries for more direct access to the fund, rather than having to go through a third party like the World Bank. More direct access would avoid long delays and excessive paperwork, and would enable developing countries to implement their own projects rather than going through outside implementing agencies. Moreover, the World Bank is an inappropriate administrator of international financing since it actually exacerbates climate change through practices such as disproportionately favouring fossil fuel intensive projects over renewable energy projects.

We look forward to hearing your response.

Yours sincerely,

Thea Ormerod
President
Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC)

A copy of this letter was also sent to the Hon. Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change.