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Exports of Used Cars Aggravate Air Pollution, Finds New UN Report

A depleting supply of new Chrysler vehicles sit on a lot outside of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, March 24, 2020. AFP Photo
A depleting supply of new Chrysler vehicles sit on a lot outside of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, March 24, 2020. AFP Photo
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Exports of Used Cars Aggravate Air Pollution, Finds New UN Report

A depleting supply of new Chrysler vehicles sit on a lot outside of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, March 24, 2020. AFP Photo
A depleting supply of new Chrysler vehicles sit on a lot outside of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois, March 24, 2020. AFP Photo

Millions of used vehicles exported from Europe, the United States and Japan to the developing world contribute significantly to air pollution, according to a report by the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) published this week.

The exported cars, vans and minibuses are of poor quality and as a result, hinder efforts to mitigate climate change, UNEP said in the report, based on an in-depth analysis of 146 countries.

"Over the years, developed countries have increasingly exported their used vehicles to developing countries. The lack of effective standards and regulation is resulting in the dumping of old, polluting and unsafe vehicles," said Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director.

According to the German News Agency, between 2015 and 2018, 14 million used light-duty vehicles were exported worldwide, showed the report. Some 80% went to low- and middle-income countries, with more than half going to Africa.

UNEP is calling on developed countries to stop exporting vehicles that fail environmental and safety inspections and are no longer considered roadworthy there.

African countries imported the largest number of used vehicles (40%) in the period studied, followed by countries in Eastern Europe (24%), Asia-Pacific (15%), the Middle East (12%) and Latin America (9%).

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Countries Agree 10% Increase for UN Climate Budget

Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Countries Agree 10% Increase for UN Climate Budget

Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. (Reuters)

Countries agreed on Thursday to increase the UN climate body's budget by 10% for the next two years, a move the body welcomed as a commitment by governments to work together to address on climate change, with China's contribution rising.

The deal, agreed by nearly 200 countries - from Japan to Saudi Arabia, to small island nations like Fiji - at UN climate negotiations in Bonn, comes despite major funding cuts at other UN agencies, triggered in part by the US slashing its contributions, and political pushback on ambitious climate policies in European countries.

Countries agreed to a core budget of 81.5 million euros for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) over 2026-2027, up 10% from 2024-2025. The core budget is funded by government contributions.

The deal includes an increase in China's contribution, reflecting the country's economic growth. China, the world's second-biggest economy, would cover 20% of the new budget, up from 15% previously.

Only the United States, the world's biggest economy, was allocated a bigger share, of 22%. However, President Donald Trump quit the UN Paris climate agreement and halted international climate funding. Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged to cover the US contribution to the UNFCCC budget.

The US did not attend the UN climate talks this week in Bonn, Germany where the budget was approved.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell welcomed the increase as "a clear signal that governments continue to see UN-convened climate cooperation as essential, even in difficult times."

The UNFCCC runs annual climate negotiations among countries and helps implement deals that are made, including the 2015 Paris Agreement, which commits nearly all nations to limit global warming.

The body has faced a severe budget shortfall in recent years, as major donors including China and the US had not paid on time, prompting the body to cut costs including by cancelling some events.

The UNFCC's running costs and headcount - its core budget funded 181 staff in 2025 - are smaller than some other UN bodies facing sharp funding cuts, such as the UN trade and development agency's roughly 400 staff.

Meanwhile, the UN Secretariat, the global body's executive arm, is preparing to slash its $3.7 billion budget by 20%, according to an internal memo.