Losses and damages are the consequences of climate changes when it is not possible to resist or adapt to the impacts that climate change causes on human activities and natural systems. Losses and damages are suffered more intensely by communities that are already more vulnerable due to social, geographic and economic issues, making their approach a matter of climate justice.
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Developing countries have long demanded that a specific mechanism be established to receive funds from richer countries and thus be able to prevent and deal with disasters such as droughts or floods.
The most industrialized countries are reluctant and, although the creation of this specific fund appears on the agenda of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, there is no guarantee of agreement and negotiations promeIt has to be arduous.
However, since the beginning of COP27, last Sunday (6), some countries have announced financing that goes in this direction, such as the Denmark, which weeks ago announced the release of 13 million euros.
Thus, the Germany announced a contribution of 170 million euros under its “Global Shield” initiative, aimed at covering climate risks in the most vulnerable countries.
A Ireland, in turn, promeyour 10 million euros as part of the “Global Shield” in 2023. Austria promeyour 50 million euros to cover damages and losses over the next four years, Scotland a total of 7 million and the Belgium 2,5 million.
“Ireland, Denmark and Belgium have started to follow the path”, declared the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, who chairs the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), on Tuesday (8).
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“It would only be fair for major polluters, particularly those involved in the historic use of fossil fuels, to follow suit,” he added.
Environmentalists also welcomed these announcements, albeit with reticence.
“It is a positive gesture (…) This shows that, after years of campaigning, the issue is finally being recognized”, Harjeet Singh, from the NGO Climate Action Network, told AFP.
However, he stressed that aid from this or that country should not “divert attention” when it comes to creating a broad mechanism that allows funds to be released as soon as a country is affected by a climate catastrophe.
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These announcements “are weak in relation to what we would need”, that is, a mechanism that amounts to “a general commitment from rich countries”, Rachel Cleetus, from the Union for Concerned Scientists think tank, told AFP.
(To AFP)
The United Nations (UN) International Conference on Climate Change – COP27 – began last Sunday (6), in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. COP is the UN's major annual event whose objective is to discuss actions aimed at combating climate change.
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