The amount of money the U.S. Government spends on foreign aid, including in the environment sector, is associated with international agreements industrialized nations make to support development in less-industrialized countries. This includes United Nations agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity or the Framework Convention on Climate Change .
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), of which the U.S. is a member, notes that "ODA [official development assistance] from G7 countries has fallen about $15 billion since 1992 – a reduction of almost 30% in real terms – and total ODA fell to a record low of 0.22% of DAC members' collective GNP." (OECD 1998)
The United Nations target for the ODA-GNP ratio is 0.7 percent, meaning that wealthier countries should try to contribute 7/10 of 1 percent of their total gross national product to helping develop their less-industrialized neighbors. This ratio amount would be analogous to an American citizen who makes $20,000 per year contributing $140 total to charity each year. As shown in the figure below, the United States and a number of other wealthy countries fall below this target ratio.The amount of money the U.S. Government spends on foreign aid, including in the environment sector, is associated with international agreements industrialized nations make to support development in less-industrialized countries. This includes United Nations agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity or the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC), of which the U.S. is a member, notes that "ODA [official development assistance] from G7 countries has fallen about $15 billion since 1992 – a reduction of almost 30% in real terms – and total ODA fell to a record low of 0.22% of DAC members' collective GNP." (OECD 1998)
The United Nations target for the ODA-GNP ratio is 0.7 percent, meaning that wealthier countries should try to contribute 7/10 of 1 percent of their total gross national product to helping develop their less-industrialized neighbors. This ratio amount would be analogous to an American citizen who makes $20,000 per year contributing $140 total to charity each year. As shown in the figure below, the United States and a number of other wealthy countries fall below this target ratio.
(Source: USAID Environment Information Clearinghouse)
