RIO DE JANEIRO — President Joe Biden made a passionate appeal on Tuesday to global leaders for increased funding directed at developing countries to combat the challenges posed by climate change, concluding his participation in a significant international summit.
During the final day of the Group of 20 meeting, Biden unveiled plans for substantial new climate and development commitments, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, aimed at highlighting his administration’s dedication to reducing the adverse effects of fossil fuels on the environment.
However, the backdrop to his urgent message was the unsettling reality that many of these proposals could face obstacles under President-elect Donald Trump. Trump’s previous presidency saw the rollback of various climate initiatives, leaving uncertainty surrounding future commitments.
Biden emphasized the critical need for leaders to address what he termed an existential crisis. He remarked that it is essential for developing nations to have “adequate resources and access to capital” necessary for fighting climate change and safeguarding themselves against its consequences.
“We must find means to provide relief to countries burdened by debt,” he told fellow heads of state in a working session, echoing the need for coordinated financial support to stimulate their economies.
The Biden administration took the opportunity at the summit to announce a $325 million contribution to the World Bank, aimed specifically at supporting developing countries in their transition away from environmentally harmful fossil fuels.
This funding was part of a broader array of climate and development initiatives revealed during the G20 summit. However, many of these initiatives depend on cooperation with Trump, who has consistently dismissed climate change initiatives as a “hoax” and indicated intentions to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement—an action he had previously taken before Biden reinstated U.S. participation.
Trump has often expressed skepticism towards Democratic climate policies. His earlier presidency was marked by the dismantling of environmental regulations and a pronounced focus on expanding fossil fuel production, reflected in his campaign slogan, “drill, baby, drill.”
While concerns regarding U.S. support for Israel amid conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon have cast a shadow over Biden’s foreign policy, he has consistently highlighted his administration’s efforts in combating climate change and alleviating global poverty as pivotal components of his legacy.
Early in his term, Biden’s administration successfully passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which represented the most extensive climate legislation in U.S. history. This act allocated hundreds of billions of dollars towards clean energy programs, electric vehicles, and other sustainable projects.
In stark contrast, Trump has vowed to halt any further financing linked to Biden’s climate initiatives, labeling them as “the Green New Scam.”
During his visit to Brazil’s Amazon rainforest—the first by a sitting U.S. president—Biden asserted that efforts towards cleaner energy would persist regardless of political changes. “While some may try to deny or delay the clean energy transformation underway in America,” he stated, “nobody can reverse it; especially not when so many are reaping its rewards.”
On Tuesday, he referred to the world’s forests as “some of the most influential tools in the fight against climate change,” warning that once they are destroyed, it’s exceedingly difficult to restore them.
Among the significant commitments made by the White House were a three-year, $4 billion pledge to the International Development Association, aimed at supporting the most disadvantaged nations, and an emerging partnership between Brazil and the U.S. to enhance collaboration on clean energy production and supply chain development.
Biden urged G20 leaders to contribute $2 billion towards replenishing a pandemic fund established by the group in 2022, in which he committed up to $667 million from the U.S. by 2026, pending Congressional approval. Given Republican control of both the House and Senate in the upcoming administration, future funding remains uncertain.
On the summit’s final day, Biden participated in a traditional group photo alongside other international leaders, standing next to Chinese President Xi Jinping in the front row. This was a moment of redemption after a scheduling mix-up caused him to miss a previous group photo opportunity, prompting a U.S. official to refer to it as a timing error.
When questioned about the other leaders not waiting for Biden and his companions, Brazil’s Communications Minister Paulo Pimenta remarked that Brazil values punctuality, stating, “In Brazil, when it’s time, it’s time.”