Obama is n’t done just yet . With just three days will to go until Trump ’s inauguration , he ’s been take a leak some ratherboldand welcome actuate that the future occupant of the Oval Office can not unmake .

As reported by theGuardian , the climate - conscious leader of the gratis world has signed a check for $ 500 million to be pass on to theGreen Climate Fund , a primal part of the framework for the UN convention on mood alteration , and a necessity for the groundbreakingParis agreementto work .

The fund was started in 2010 , but it ’s since been somewhat merged into the climate modification treaty . It ’s primarily designed to help poorer and less developed nation transition to clean house muscularity more expeditiously and effectively .

The US , for its part , has forebode $ 3 billion of funding as part of its confirmation of the Paris agreement – andwithout this contribution , it ’s likely that inadequate nations will not be able to achieve their atomic number 6 - cutting goals . To particular date , the Obama administration has now donate $ 1 billion of this to the investment company , but it ’s probable that the next $ 2 billion wo n’t be handed over by the climate change denying Trump administration .

The funds were once again procured from the State Department . This required no congressional approval , and was rate by an executive activity that Trump can not reverse .

This contribution descend as welcome tidings not just to all the signatories of the Paris concord , but to the100,000 peoplewho petitioned the President of the United States to pimp the fund before he left office . Although they were hoping that he would pass over the entire stay $ 2.5 billion , this is still respectable than nothing .

This once again spotlight the apposition between the outgoing and incoming presidents . The former has invested in renewable energy and protected more public landed estate and water thanany other presidentin American history . He ’s also cut down on fossil fuel capacitance quite dramatically , and – of class – helped realize the Paris arrangement , along with theChinese government .

Trump , on the other paw , has filled his console withclimate change denier , oil barons and anti - environmentalists , many of whom have been heavily lobby – and fund – by the fossil fuel manufacture , particularly when it comes to ember . The United States President - chosen himself has gone from proclaiming climate alteration to be a Chinese - borne hoax to fundamentally just being very ambivalent about it .

While the world devise on with its climate modification extenuation , Trump ’s America will swim as intemperately as it can against the stream . At least , with this parting shoot by Obama , there ’s something to smile about .