ISLAMABAD: The international climate activists on Monday termed the inconclusive transition committee meetings held to agree on the functioning of the landmark Loss and Damage Fund agreed at the global climate moot COP-27 past year in Egypt as a clear indication of the rich countries’ poor political will to compromise for the cause.
Various international climate experts in an online communication with reporter said that despite going into overtime and several rounds of breakout and plenary discussions, the fourth meeting of the Transitional Committee (TC) on Loss and Damage has ended with no outcome.
The meeting was held here from October 17-20 and was meant to draft the recommendations for COP28 to operationalize the Loss And Damage Fund. It was announced at COP27 and was hailed as a victory for those fighting for decades for climate damage.
However, key elements of its functioning: its governance, structure, location, source of funding and beneficiaries of funding remain mired in disagreement with rich countries pushing for it be hosted in the World Bank which is a red line for developing countries who have asked for an independent fund.
Given the importance of having the recommendations at COP28, the TC has decided to schedule another meeting in a last-ditch attempt to bridge the differences. This meeting will be hosted by the COP28 Presidency in Abu Dhabi from 3-5 November, after the pre-COP.
Associate Director, Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington, DC, Liane Schalatek said, “The 4th meeting of the Transitional Committee to design a new Loss & Damage Fund tanked because rich countries drew up too many red lines and displayed little political will for compromise. Instead, they played hardball with the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable countries and communities already suffering catastrophic losses and damages.
They failed to accept their historical responsibility (suggesting that many of those harmed should pay themselves), tried to pit affected countries and communities against each other (by limiting who could get money) and proposed to set up a new fund under the World Bank with a Board representing shareholders, not equity.”
Director of Policy & Campaigns, ActionAid USA, Brandon Wu, “Developing countries did not fight for basic principles of fairness in the UN climate regime to have the United States – the world’s largest historical greenhouse gas emitter – pretend that it has no special responsibility to support those developing countries in addressing Loss & Damage from climate change. Communities did not fight for 30 years to get a fund based out of the World Bank, which many of those same communities have been struggling with over the last nearly 70 years.”
Director Climate Trace Puerto Rico, Isatis M. Cintron Rodriguez said, “Long overdue justice was denied and delayed in Aswan, Egypt. Developed countries, in a convenient collective amnesia of their historical responsibility in creating climate change, tried to impose further injustice through the disregard of the very fabric of the Paris Agreement and governance structure that limits the access, representation, and capacity of the Fund to work for vulnerable communities. Less than 50 days from COP28, failure is in sight if the course is not corrected.”
Senior Campaigner, Center for International Environmental Law, Lien Vandamme said, “People whose human rights have been violated because of the climate crisis are entitled to remedy without further delays. The Transitional Committee’s failure to deliver is no surprise given the lack of will wealthy nations have demonstrated from the start of this process.”
Head of global political strategy, Climate Action Network International, Harjeet Singh said, “The failure of the Transitional Committee to draft recommendations for the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund is a clear indication of the deep chasm between rich and poor nations. Developed countries must be held accountable for their shameless attempts to push the World Bank as the host of the fund, their refusal to discuss the necessary scale of finance, and their blatant disregard for their responsibilities under the UN Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement.”