Determinants of Climate Aid: New and Old Donors in Northeast Asia

Abstract

Anthropogenic climate change is a serious threat to the wellbeing of many communities, especially in developing countries. In order to mitigate climate change or adapt to its effects, developing countries are reliant on richer countries to provide financial assistance in the form of climate change aid. The Northeast Asian states of Japan, South Korea and China are among those richer countries who are contributing increasing volumes of climate change aid. The major aim of this study is to ascertain the determinants behind the climate change aid disbursements of these three states. It was discovered that while Japan does distribute climate change aid based on recipients’ vulnerability in many cases, that self-interested determinants of strategic importance and economic potential of the recipient were more important determinants. For Korea, by far the strongest determinant for climate change aid was regional proximity. On the other hand, none of the determinants examined in the usual aid literature fit easily with China’s climate change aid programme, which is often informed by Beijing’s specific political concerns. Understanding the determinants involved with the climate change aid of these three states can allow policymakers and scholars to better understand climate change aid of other, newer, donors, for a future where their contributions will be vital to addressing climate change.