World's Poorest Nations Pledge to Pursue 100% Green Energy, But Trump's Win Could Spell Disaster

On Nov. 18, 47 of the world's poorest countries have pledged to use 100 percent renewable energy. The pledge was made during the last day of the climate conference held in Marrekech, Morocco.

According to a file uploaded by the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), the pledge aims to limit the maximum increase in global warming well below 1.5 degrees Celsius and to avoid the peak of global emissions by 2020. It also aims to "[achieve] net carbon neutrality by the 2050s in realization of the Paris Agreement."

Countries included in the pledge are the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Haiti. The nations said that they will take action on using renewable energy "as rapidly as possible" and "strive to meet 100% domestic renewable energy production as rapidly as possible, while working to end energy poverty and protect water and food security, taking into consideration national circumstances," BBC reports,

This move has been welcomed by other countries including the EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete.

"The commitments made by the Climate Vulnerable Forum today are both impressive and inspirational," said Canete. "They have once again shown their moral leadership in this process with real-world commitments to action. These countries are already living the terrifying reality of climate change today and their very existence is on the line. The EU stands with them and their commitment to greater ambition in the years ahead."

But to achieve this goal, the developing nations need support from richer countries, which promised to give $100 billion annually from 2020. However, with the recent victory of Donald Trump in the US presidency, the tides may change as Trump has expressed his intent to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. The US, during Barack Obama's administration, has promised $3 billion to the green climate fund but has only given $500 million at present.

"$2.5bn dollars was supposed to be in the mail, but now that the mailman has changed that might be a bit of an issue," said Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, chair of the group of Least Developed Countries. "If the US pulls out and the others cut, it creates uncertainty and that can hinder ambition. If they have the impression that climate finance is a fluke, and nothing is materialising, then of course it is going to hinder ambition and climate action from developing countries."