The existing funding commitment was made back at the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, when wealthy countries collectively pledged to mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020 for climate action in poorer countries. Climate change Minister Greg Combet earlier this week described as “absolute rubbish” the assertion that Australia committed at Doha to compensating other countries for loss and damage, as well as the figure of up to $3 billion a year of taxpayers’ money, reported in The Australian with reference to our research. But Australia, along with other wealthy countries, needs to stand by its previously agreed pledge to contribute to the global funding effort and to assure developing countries that it will continue to scale up funding between now and 2020.