Paris, Oct 25 (AP/UNB) — France's finance minister says pledges to replenish an international fund meant to help poor nations tackle climate change will reach nearly 10 billion euros ($11 billion).
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, speaking at a conference in Paris set to replenish the Green Climate Fund, said "it's a great success."
He added "this is a European success," noting that almost half of the amount is provided by France, Germany and Britain alone.
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withhold $2 billion of the $3 billion pledged by his predecessor, Barack Obama, has contributed to a shortfall at the fund that other countries have struggled to fill.
The meeting takes place a little over a month before the U.N.'s annual climate conference, which will be held in Santiago, Chile, this year.