Berlin blasted for sending ‘fatal signal’ on climate finance during COP30

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🗞️ Driving the news: Germany is facing sharp criticism from civil society after slashing its climate finance budget during key COP30 negotiations
• Budget cuts to the development ministry mean Berlin is unlikely to meet its €6 billion annual climate finance pledge, with estimates suggesting contributions may fall to €5.3 billion next year and drop further

🔭 The context: Germany has long positioned itself as a global climate leader and a major contributor to climate finance
• COP30 in Brazil is entering its decisive second week, with developing countries demanding greater adaptation funding and support to cope with escalating climate impacts
• The cuts come just one year after developed nations agreed to triple the $100 billion annual climate finance goal by 2035
• Former German climate envoy Jennifer Morgan warned that setting new adaptation goals without funding makes them “not enough,” while NGOs like Germanwatch said the cuts send a “fatal signal” to the world
• Germany’s decision now risks weakening trust at a moment when developing nations are pushing for tripling adaptation finance by 2030 or 2035

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Germany’s withdrawal from its climate finance commitments undermines global solidarity and jeopardizes efforts to help vulnerable nations adapt to worsening heatwaves, floods, and sea-level rise
• If a leading donor steps back, momentum toward scaled-up international finance—critical for a just and effective climate transition—could stall precisely when climate impacts are accelerating

⏭️ What’s next: Developing countries will press for concrete adaptation finance pledges before COP30 ends
• Pressure is mounting on Germany to revise or supplement its budget to avoid damaging trust and climate diplomacy
• Negotiators are expected to debate how to enforce accountability for pledges as the 2030s climate finance goals take shape

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