In their response to criticism of a World Bank-hosted pilot programme for climate resilience (Funding a world of low-carbon growth, May 19), UK ministers rightly point out that developing countries have long demanded financial resources to deal with a warming planet. What they neglected to mention is that a place already exists that accepts donations from developed countries – the UN adaptation fund, approved in Bali last December. Developing countries won a hard-fought battle for a majority of seats on the executive board of the fund. The World Bank’s approach is a step backwards.