OTTAWA — Canada pledged $300 million on Thursday to help poor countries adapt to climate change and to help them lower their greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 20 countries have so far pledged to give money to the Green Climate Fund, a United Nations initiative with a goal of sending $100 billion a year to developing countries, starting in 2020.

The U.S. already announced it would give $3 billion this year and Japan pledged $1.5 billion.

Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the fund's "strong focus on helping the poorest countries with adaptation and promoting private sector investment will play a key role in addressing climate change globally."

The U.S. and China, two of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gasses, reached a climate deal last week.

China recognized that it needs to scale back its emissions, while the U.S. said it would cut its emissions by more than a quarter by 2025.