Commentary: Who is responsible when climate change harms the world’s poorest countries?

The question of payments for loss and damage has been a long-standing point of negotiation at United Nations climate conferences, held nearly every year since 1995, but there has been little progress toward including a financial mechanism for these payments in international climate agreements.

Many developing countries are looking to this year’s conference, COP27, as a crucial moment for making progress on establishing that formal mechanism.

LOSS AND DAMAGE WILL TAKE CENTRE STAGE

With Egypt hosting this year’s UN climate conference, it’s not surprising that loss and damage will take centre stage.

Countries in Africa have some of the lowest national greenhouse gas emissions, and yet the continent is home to many of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.

To deal with climate change, these countries – many of them among the world’s poorest – will have to invest in adaptation measures, such as seawalls, climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure that’s more resilient to high heat and extreme storms.

Loss and damage is different from adaptation. After climate disasters, countries often need financial help to cover relief efforts, infrastructure repairs and recoveries.

Egypt is emphasising the need for wealthy countries to make more progress on providing financial support for both adaptation and loss and damage.

The conversation on loss and damage is inherently about equity. It evokes the question: Why should countries that have done little to cause global warming be responsible for the damage resulting from the emissions of wealthy countries?

That also makes it contentious. Negotiators know that the idea of payments for loss and damage has the potential to lead to further discussions about financial compensation for historical injustices, such as slavery in the United States or colonial exploitation by European powers.