Australia will cut its funding to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) by more than 80%, it has been reported.

 

The federal government was due to give $1.2m to UNEP this year, but will now give just $200,000. The ABC reported $4m would be cut over the next four years.

 

The environment minister, Greg Hunt, said the fund was not a budget priority for the government.

 

“You’ve always got to make choices in a difficult budget environment. I would imagine that most Australians would think that putting $12m into coral reef protection within our region, and combating illegal logging of the rainforests of the Asia Pacific would be a pretty good investment, rather than $4m for bureaucratic support within the UN system,” Hunt said.

 

UNEP was established in 1972 with the aim of promoting environmental sustainability through global action. It relies on contributions from member countries.

 

“Close to 90% of the financing of UNEP is voluntary and depends on countries’ goodwill and also their recognition of UNEP,” the executive director of the program, Achim Steiner, told the ABC.

 

The opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs, Tanya Plibersek, said: “Tony Abbott tried to keep climate change off the G20 agenda, but he failed. That’s because other world leaders know climate change is both an environmental and economic issue.”

 

“The cuts revealed today just reinforce that when it comes to climate change Tony Abbott is out on his own.”

 

Based on its funding commitments for 2012, Australia ranked 13th globally in its support for UNEP. The Netherlands contributed the most, with $10m. The US pledged $6.5m and the UK $5.7m.

 

 

PHOTO: Australian minister for the environment Greg Hunt said some of the funds amounted to ‘bureaucratic support’ for the UN.

CREDIT: Joe Castro/AAP.