Aid cuts forcing fossil fuel dependence in East Timor

Key points

• East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta says the country must keep developing fossil fuels, as aid cuts make a fast shift to clean energy harder. He told a Perth conference that the nation's grid runs almost entirely on costly diesel, which deters investors.
• He said official development assistance has nearly disappeared, with donor countries redirecting funds to Ukraine and refugees.
• Separately, the Green Climate Fund announced a project of up to $1 billion for Pacific nations, covering 21 projects.