Peru could add to UN climate fund ahead of Lima talks

Peru could soon pledge a substantial amount of money to the United Nations climate fund aimed at helping poorer countries fight climate change.

In an interview with Bloomberg News on Wednesday, Environment Minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal said the country is considering a pledge as a “political signal” and plans to decide before the Lima talks in December.

{mosads}Pulgar-Vidal did not get into specifics on the amount of money Peru would contribute to the fund, but the country hopes the U.S. and European Union will also make similar announcements before the Lima meeting.

A contribution to the fund, Pulgar-Vidal said, would send a “political signal to have a very good high-level ministerial meeting on finance in Lima.”

He added that it would “show to the world that there is commitment of the different developed countries to fill with their capitalization the Green Climate Fund.”

Developing countries are looking to industrialized nations to pledge money to the voluntary fund, which was promised to provide $100 billion per year by 2020. Pledges to the fund ahead of Lima and next year’s talks in Paris would help along negations and bring poorer countries to the table for a global climate accord.