Europe and the United States staked rival claims to the title of champion donor yesterday, each unveiling programmes at the Earth summit to help the world's two billion poorest and protect the environment.
In presentations crafted to seize the spotlight, the world's biggest economic powers declared their support for "partnership" initiatives, in which donor nations, corporations, charities and local governments team up in the cause of sustainable development.
The US sought to shrug off the role of pantomime demon with which it has been saddled since the 10-day summit began on Monday - an unpopularity enhanced by President Bush's snub of next week's gathering of heads of state and government.
It promised to commit at least €1.1 billion in partnership schemes over the next four years to help provide clean water and sanitation, give access to electricity, boost African farming productivity and conserve forests in Africa's Congo basin. "The United States is the world's leader in sustainable development," Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Ms Paula Dobriansky, leading the US delegation, told a press conference. "No nation has made a greater contribution and a more concrete contribution to sustainable development."
Ms Dobriansky defended Mr Bush against charges of unilateralism and complained about the media's focus on the row to agree on the summit's blueprint for action. The draft document has been the arena for fierce political battles in which the US has objected to setting hard goals and deadlines.
"Much attention has been placed on the text of the Johannesburg plan of action, which now runs to some 30,000 words," Ms Dobriansky said. "Words are good, actions are better."
The EU, for its part, declared it would unveil two "major" partnerships in water and electricity in the coming days.
These will add to the €2.1 billion that the EU provides in aid to these sectors each year, said the European Commissioner for development, Mr Poul Nielson.
The Commission added that the EU planned to provide €200 million to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
Environmentalists are wary about partnerships, fearing that, in many cases, unmonitored tie-ups may be an exercise in "greenwash" to enhance a company's image and which could even damage the planet's health.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, speaking in Berlin, and a trio of US congressmen attending the summit, joined a swelling chorus of appeals for the US to ratify the Kyoto protocol.
On Wednesday, Japan urged the US, the biggest single generator of greenhouse gases, to embrace the UN global warming pact, as did a powerful lobby of multinational corporations that included several US blue chips.
Congressman Mr Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat of Oregon, warned that Mr Bush's hardline stance was costing America goodwill, which could only sap its war on terrorism.
"At a time when the United States is asking the countries of the world to line up behind an agenda . . . dealing with terrorism, we have to understand that many of the items on the agenda at this conference are life-and-death items for those countries and for those peoples," he said.-(AFP)