UN official urges industrialized countries to pay more for climate change

UN Climate Summit opens with call for action

UNITED NATIONS -- The industrialized countries should dig deep in their pockets and provide a greater portion of funds to pay the climate change bill, a senior UN official has urged.

The cost of climate change infrastructure across the world will cost $19 trillion over the next 15 years, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Christiana Figueres told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Everybody is going to contribute to the bill, however, there's no question that it's the industrialized countries that have the responsibility, both morally and financially, she said.

The industrialized world has the financial capacity to prime the pump if they will, she added.

"So the capitalization of the green climate fund is perhaps the most evident example of where there needs to be initial capitalization from the governments of the industrialized countries," she said.

The UNFCC has established the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which supports projects, programs, policies and other activities in developing countries.

The 19-trillion-dollar financial plan is part of a big picture, Figueres said.

Most of the answers to the the reasons of climate change have to do with the production of energy and the construction of infrastructure, so when it comes to new investments, "are we going to (put) the money into the typical, traditional and past economical infrastructure?" she asked.

Such being the case, she said: "that's condemning the global economy."

Figueres suggested the funds solicited at the climate change conferences now and future should be used during the post-2020 period.

Therefore, the request for additional funds is just a start and will continue over the next few years, she added.

The financial plan is a 5 percent increase over that of the past. This slight increase will not only save the planet but potentially enhance the lives of women.

Up to 50 percent of women will be freed from an open fire cooking system to much more efficient stoves.

This upgrade in cooking will also protect children, because mothers will no longer expose children to the dangers of an open fire, she said.

"Women could actually use energy at home and be able to have a productive life instead of just taking care of the basics," she said. "We would also be able to provide lighting at night so children can study and go to school."

"So those are the benefits that can come with climate change at the bottom of the pyramid," she said.

As for China's role in dealing with the climate problem, she said: "China has long been a very important player in addressing climate change."

More importantly, "they (the Chinese) have always participated very constructively in the international climate negotiations," she said, adding that China is really leading the world in renewable energy investment, such as wind power and solar energy.