(CNSNews.com) -- The U.N. Green Climate Fund’s governing board has approved a proposal to hike the number of permanent staff at the body’s secretariat by 150 percent by the end of next year -- from the current 56 positions to 140.The decision, made at a meeting at the GCF’s headquarters in Songdo, South Korea last week, came days after the Obama administration confirmed payment of the first $500,000 of a $3-billion, four-year pledge to the fund, whose aim is to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to phenomena blamed on climate change.
At the board meeting, the U.S. government formalized its pledge of $3 billion, the GCF said in a statement.
Some Republican lawmakers are incensed that the administration is going ahead with the funding without specific congressional authorization, warning that the move may be illegal. The State Department says it has determined that the funding is permissible.
The 24-member GCF board agreed the staff increase is necessary as the fund gears up to meet a goal of paying out $2.5 billion to projects around the world this year. The GCF claimed its secretariat has been understaffed, overstretched, and lacks experts in areas such as clean energy.