(The Philippine Star) | Updated October 17,
2013 - 12:00am
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Albay Gov.
Joey Salceda was elected recently as
chairman of the $100-billion Green Climate Fund (GCF), during the GCF’s fifth
meeting in Paris from Oct. 7 to 10.
Salceda becomes the first Asian to
chair the world’s most ambitious attempt to combat the impacts of climate
change on the side of developing countries.
The GCF is the finance arm of the
United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC). Its
chairmanship is shared by co-chairs, one for developed countries now assumed by
the German representative, and one for developing countries won by Salceda.
The GCF, also known as the Fund, was
established by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2011 and
is intended to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate
change. In pitching for his candidacy,
Salceda said the Fund “should prompt positive consequences in the lives of
ordinary people”.
The 24-member board – now co-chaired
by the Philippines – oversees the operation of the Fund, which has pledges of
$100 billion by 2020, and approves the funding of projects in line with the
Fund’s principles, criteria, modalities, policies and programs.
With 2014 as the target for the
operationalization of the Fund, Salceda said he aims to make the Fund work for
developing countries, including Small Islands Developing States, Least
Developed Countries, Africa, and highly vulnerable communities in countries
like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
The fund was initially set at $20
billion per year in the first three years and $100 billion thereafter, in the
next five years.
Salceda, UN’s senior global champion
for climate change (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) became a member of
the board in April 2012, backed up by an approval recommendation from President
Aquino.
Salceda’s chairmanship of the GCF was
first brought up during the 4th meeting in Songdo, South Korea last June. He
said it “signified trust from his peers; no greater burden than a great
potential, a job that is worth the burden”.
The GCF board is composed of 48
member- developed and developing nations, among them Australia, the United
States, Britain, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Italy,
Norway, China, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Spain, Latin American, African
and Asian countries.
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