On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., wrote a letter to Dr. Yannick Glemarec, the executive director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), requesting answers and transparency on how the GCF spends American taxpayer dollars.
The GCF is an element of the Paris Climate Agreement. This letter follows President Biden’s recent Executive Order on the United States’ intent to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. Scott noted he is committed to addressing the impacts of climate change and protecting the environment while ensuring that every American tax dollar spent provides a measurable and acceptable return on investment and serves the interests of the United States.
The letter is below.
Dear Dr. Glemarec:
As I am sure you are aware, President Joe Biden recently signed an Executive Order expressing the United States’ intent to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. As a United States Senator, I share oversight of any funding that may be used to fulfill the United States’ obligation to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Since President Obama entered the Paris Agreement, the United States has sent a billion dollars in American taxpayer money to the Green Climate Fund. As Congress considers additional funding for climate change initiatives, it is imperative that we have as much information as possible about how these taxpayer dollars have been spent.
I understand that the GCF’s role is to channel finances from both public and private sectors to developing countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen their climate resiliency. Achieving success requires total cooperation and transparency among all stakeholders across the globe. As a United States Senator, I want to ensure that every American taxpayer dollar spent gets a positive return on investment. Therefore, I write to request the following information:
What projects have been funded with the contributions made by the United States?
What is the return on investment from these projects? What analytics do you collect to ensure accountability?
How has the GCF used the Private Sector Facility to raise funds from private entities?
Please provide a comprehensive list of all private entities that have contributed, and by how much.
Please include the amount pledged and the amount paid for each.
Please provide how much has been raised by the private sector towards the Paris Agreement goals compared to how much has been raised by other member countries of the Paris Agreement.
Please provide details on how much is annually allocated to staff salaries and administrative expenses, unrelated to combating climate change, at the GCF.
In any agreement entered by the United States, we demand accountability, transparency, and oversight, and I look forward to hearing from you on how American taxpayer dollars are being used at the GCF. I will continue to work to make sure American taxpayer dollars are protected so we have the resources we need to protect the environment and invest in what matters most to Americans.
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