Countries Hit Hardest by Climate Change May Finally Get Their Due

The phrase "climate reparation" has been used many times to describe the responsibility to compensate future generations. Lisa Vanhala is a political scientist at University College London who studies loss and damage negotiations. The US has been afraid that it could be used to hold them accountable outside of the United Nations. The countries prefer to use the phrase "loss and damage" at the negotiating table, instead of using the term "past harms". The countries that advocate for finance have mostly agreed to speak in those terms in the negotiation room. Consensus is required to move forward.

What does the phrase "loss and damage" really mean? An insurance program that pays out when a climate-linked disaster strikes is one idea led by Germany. The program, which the EU calls Global Shield, would likely involve help from wealthier nations to cover the premiums. Ireland and Belgium have committed funding to the program.

The UN needs a fund for loss and damage. Some of the small island nations that pioneered the idea of loss and damage are some of the strongest advocates. Some places will become uninsurable as climate impacts become worse, according to Michai Robertson, who leads finance negotiations for AOSIS. Slow-onset changes like desertification and sea level rise are not covered by insurance. There are a lot of ideas for how to finance the UN loss and damage fund from the member states.

As world leaders left Egypt, some seemed slightly more optimistic about the creation of a fund. At a press conference Tuesday, Mottley said that the momentum was gathering. There are signs that the United Kingdom may be unwilling to provide funding for the US as it emerges from the election. China and India are major polluters now but haven't contributed as much to the problem in the past The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda emphasized that everyone must step up. The polluter is responsible for paying. He doesn't believe in a free pass for any country.

More action is being taken outside of the UN process. Scotland, a non- UN member, has pledged a total of $7 million to loss and damage after setting up their own loss and damage funds. It is very small in the context of trillions of dollars in losses and damages. She highlighted the importance of finding consensus in the COP negotiations in order to tackle the immense costs.

She thanked Huq for the years of work he's done to make that happen. He said that he is often asked why he continues to attend. His answer is always optimistic. They are going to be talking money this year. He said that they had been playing this game for years and had been losing.