Rich countries could raise five times the money that poor countries are demanding in climate finance, through windfall taxes on fossil fuels, ending harmful subsidies and a wealth tax on billionaires, research has shown.
Developing nations are asking for at least $1tn (£750bn) a year of public funds to help them cut greenhouse gases and cope with the impacts of extreme weather.
But why in buggery should we?
This is all just a dressing up of the old one. We’re rich, they’re not, we must give them oodles. New excuse, same demand. If it’s about the wealth then the answer is that the only exuse for poverty these days is bad government. So, get your house in order. If the excuse is about climate then our jobs, as rich and tech advanced, is to generate the tech that they can use. Job done.
“We note the Developing Nations attitude to cutting greenhouse gases and coping with the effects of extreme weather will be governed by the nature of our reply and would therefore be grateful if you would inform us what their attitude would be, were they to learn that the nature of our reply to their request for $1tn annually is as follows: fuck off.”
(With apologies to Arkell v Pressdram).
Perhaps we could donate to the nations of Shitholia and Shitholistan our old EVs, solar panels and windmills.
Otto
I suspect that, rather like the pc’s and tablets previously donated, they will be repeatedly hit with rocks by nascent engineers in order to liberate fifty cents worth of copper wire.
Ah but John, it may only be 50 cents to you…
They could stockpile all the lithium batteries in leaky sheds in heavily built up areas too, before going at them with said rocks. That’d be nice. Shows entrepeneurism.
I believe Mercedes-Benz does a nice line in electric vehicles.
Would those be called Mercedes-Burns?
I’ll get my coat…
It’s been a long time since MB made nice vehicles, electric or otherwise. A modern Hyundai has better interior materials, fit, finish, NVH, etc. Why third-world kleptocrats insist on having a Benz when their budget would surely stretch to a Lexus is a genuine mystery.
Now that South Africa has trousered the billions in incentives from the G7 for reducing emissions by sabotaging the national electricity company (previously acclaimed as one of the best and cheapest in the world), forced the middle class to install solar systems to keep their fridges running thereby enriching the President’s entrepreneurial bro-in-law and coincidental WEF trustee, Patrice Motsepe, the lights have mysteriously come on and stayed on since April. I have no idea where the G7 money went but am grateful for the virtue signalled
@Ljh – I didn’t realise load-shedding was over! It was a right PITA when I visited SA last year. I’d read about the ‘decarbonisation’ incentives which had been waved at SA but didn’t connect them with the load shedding. Double bubble for the ANC looters I guess: funnel cash out of Eskom and pocket the incentives too.
Marius: reliable electricity in weeks before election was predictable but it was a great surprise when it continued afterwards. I guess some comrades with unearned shares in surviving industry were getting restive. From 18/24 electricity to fulltime was miraculous and makes me suspect the manufactured nature of loadshedding in the first place
Dear Mr Worstall
“If it’s about the wealth then the answer is that the only exuse for poverty these days is bad government.”
With the quality of government we have enjoyed for nigh on three decades, we’ll be joining them soon. I doubt that will stop our future governments from scraping the last morsels from our begging bowls to send aid to countries to further their space programmes.
Some of the carbon dioxide we produce should be added to our foreign aid budget, which helps fertilise the crops of the poorest in the world – subsistence farmers. Moreover, it’s aid that
corruptgovernments cannot divert into their own coffers.DP