The US Environmental Protection Agency's review of its “endangerment finding,” which declares that climate change is real and caused by human activity, could provide cover for a massive retreat from climate action at the federal level.
The treaty, signed in 1996, expires next year, and there are unresolved issues with regards to water sharing arrangements. Both Bangladesh and India will need to negotiate a more thorough, equitable and climate-resilient deal.
Some want philanthropy to fill the gap, and others have shamed governments for stepping back. The former is unrealistic, while the latter ineffective. But even with constrained budgets, governments can provide assistance to scale up proven solutions.
There is scepticism around climate finance through private investments, and if private finance is to play a bigger role, policy reforms ahead of this year’s COP30 are needed. Alternatively, could the G20 or BRICS lead on climate finance?