The U.S. has made big promises. Where’s the money?

It’s easy making climate promises. It’s harder keeping them.

Take note of the $1.5 trillion spending bill passed by the United States Congress last week. It included $1 billion in climate aid. That’s less than half of what the White House had requested and far short of the $11.4 billion that President Biden promised to deliver each year by 2024.

On Twitter, Rachel Kyte, a veteran climate diplomat and now dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, called it “thin climate finance gruel.”

The money in the spending bill is mostly meant to help poorer countries cope with the accelerating risks of global warming and transition away from fossil fuels. Mohamed Adow, an activist with Power Shift Africa, called the allocation of $1 billion “appalling.”

“Many countries in the global south have made their climate commitments contingent on receiving substantial climate finance,” Adow said. “The U.S. failing once more to keep its finance promises will destroy any hopes that these countries may achieve their emissions reduction targets.”