Latest Article on Megashift FISIPOL UGM
“Rethinking the Architecture of Climate Finance: How Political Discretion Undermines Global Commitments”
By: Meilisa Anggraeni
Megashift FISIPOL UGM has released another thought-provoking and timely article, this time spotlighting global climate finance, which is under immense pressure due to the shifting tides of international politics. In her piece, “Rethinking the Architecture of Climate Finance,” author Meilisa Anggraeni examines how climate funding pledges from developed nations often weaken — not because of technical or economic constraints, but due to the political choices of their leaders.
The article offers a sharp analysis of how the current climate finance architecture is too loose, non-binding, and highly vulnerable to changes in leadership. Cases from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom reveal that climate funding commitments can drastically change with a shift in political power — for instance, when Donald Trump returned to office in 2025 and immediately withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement while dissolving USAID.
Meilisa stresses that without strong global institutional reforms, the ambitious target of $300 billion per year for developing countries will remain an empty figure. Her work calls for the urgent creation of a climate finance system that is more resilient, equitable, and immune to the domestic political dynamics of donor nations.