‘Loss and damage’: the likely big theme of COP27

The global north is responsible for most historic greenhouse gas emissions. But it’s the global south which is facing most of the negative effects of climate change resulting from these emissions. This is the crux of the ‘loss and damage’ argument. 

‘Loss and damage’ at its most basic comes down to richer developed nations paying financial reparations to poorer developing nations. It’s to compensate them for loss and damage that results from manmade global heating. 

This can be physical damage, such as the destruction of infrastructure caused by flooding or wildfires, economic damage resulting from such events because of a reduced economic output in affected regions, or the loss of whole islands from rising sea levels. It’s different to the annual pot of money already set aside (but not quite fulfilled) for adaptation. 

It was more than a decade ago, in October 2009, that the Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives held the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting to highlight what they described as a lack of action on the climate crisis. ‘We are trying to send our message to let the world know what is happening and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change isn’t checked,’ said then president Mohamed Nasheed at the time.  

But calls for greater support for the global south go right back to the birth pangs of COP 30 years ago. As the effects of the climate crisis have become more apparent, the calls for financial support have steadily grown.  

Although the way was cleared for such payments with the Paris Accords of 2015, opposition by the US, EU and other major emitters in Glasgow last year stopped a legal framework for payments put forward by the G77, now a group of 134 nations representing 85% of the global population.  

Since then, António Guterres, the UN Secretary General, has described ‘loss and damage’ as the ‘fundamental question of climate justice, international solidarity and trust.’ Aside from exceptions like Denmark, which has already agreed to pay almost £12 m for climate losses, it’s going to be difficult to convince the historic polluters to pay up, especially at a time of uncertain global economics. 

‘The fact that it has been adopted as an agenda item demonstrates progress and parties taking a mature and constructive attitude towards this,’ said UN Climate Secretary Simon Stiell on Sunday.  

With the result of the US midterm election possibly returning a more sympathetic and internationalist democrat-led Congress, and with China’s lead negotiator Xie Zhenhua today stating the country’s willingness to ‘contribute’ (it’s unclear whether this means financial contributions), the balance may now have been tipped in favour of those nations seeking reparations.  

Photo by Shashank Sahay