For the first time in the history of UN climate talks, “loss and damage” has been included in the formal conference agenda, setting the stage for discussions of reparations for countries bearing the brunt of climate change
Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said the provision of funding for countries affected was a matter of “climate justice”. His country suffered $30 billion of loss and damage as a result of, he said at a press conference on 7 November. “Our journey to recovery will be held back by increasing public debt, rising global energy prices and no real access to adaptation finance,” he said.
Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley said it wasn’t just up to governments to provide loss and damage funding, arguing that oil and gas companies should also contribute. “How do companies make $200 billion in profits in the last three months and not expect to contribute at least 10 cents in each dollar of profit to a loss and damage fund?” she said during a speech to world leaders.
Amid the clamour for climate finance, others are keen not to let other key promises made at last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow, UK, slide down the agenda. Speaking at aevent on 7 November, former UK prime minister Boris Johnson said he was “very concerned” that pledges made in Glasgow – such as to roll out net zero targets, cut methane emissions and halt deforestation – become reality. “The potential achievement [of COP26] was massive, but it is all now about delivery,” he said.
Meanwhile Rishi Sunak, the current UK prime minister, used his first appearance on the international stage to launch a new funding programme to protect forests around the world. The Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership launched in Egypt on 7 November aiming to ensure thatThe partnership will see member countries drive forward work on the deployment of carbon markets, community initiatives and other strategies for tackling deforestation needed to meet the 2030 goal.
Former US vice president Al Gore captured the palpable sense of frustration surrounding the summit over the gap between ambitious promises and real-world action. “We have a credibility problem – all of us – we are not doing enough,” he told world leaders on 7 November.newsletter to get a dose of climate optimism delivered straight to your inbox, every Thursday
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