After three decades of frustration, vulnerable countries are determined the “Glasgow dialogue” on loss and damage must deliver more than just talk.
Vulnerable island states say they cannot wait another three years for a funding mechanism to help victims of climate disasters.
Developing countries demanded the creation of a fund to respond to the losses and damages caused by increasing climate impacts during last year’s Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow, UK.
But in the face of US and EU opposition, they settled for a “dialogue”, co-chaired by the US and Singapore, which runs until June 2024 and is tasked with discussing potential funding arrangements.
At the first session of the dialogue on Tuesday, small island states said 2024 was too late for money to start flowing to communities on the frontline of climate impacts. They want to establish a finance facility at this year’s climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and work out the details along the way.
“There is no clear finance for the loss and damage that is right now undermining fundamental human rights in our region. This is essential,” Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, told the meeting during preparatory climate talks in Bonn, Germany.
Jetn̄il-Kijiner said no climate finance, neither humanitarian aid nor adaptation funding, “even comes close to the scale of resources required”.
