TWN Sharm El-Sheikh Climate News Update No. 3

Cooperation on loss and damage is not charity but climate justice – says G77

Sharm El-Sheikh, 7 Nov (Hilary Kung) – Enhanced solidarity and cooperation on loss and damage is not charity but is climate justice, said Pakistan on behalf of the Group of 77/China, in outlining its expectations at the annual climate conference which opened on 6 Nov. in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Ambassador Munir Akram (Pakistan) who is current chair of the G77/China in delivering the opening statement of the Group, referred to “the catastrophic floods in Pakistan that left 33 million lives in tatters, with losses and damages amounting to a tenth of the GDP of the country”. He added that “We are living in an era where many developing countries are already witnessing unprecedented devastating impacts of climate change, though they have contributed very little to it” and that “Enhanced solidarity and cooperation to address loss and damage is not charity – it is climate justice.”

Therefore, on the issue of loss and damage, Akram said that, “G77 and China is united in its demand for establishment of a dedicated finance facility to provide new and additional financial support to developing countries for addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change…  It is also imperative that the institutional structure and operational modalities needed to catalyse technical assistance through the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD) are finalized in a deliberate manner.”

The G77 Chair reiterated the importance of the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) between developed and developing countries under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement (PA).

On the means of implementation, the G77 and China spokesperson said “Developed countries must provide adequate and predictable means of implementation including finance, technology and capacity building to the developing countries on an urgent basis.”

The Group highlighted that “Finance remains the key to achieving the objectives of the Convention and the PA” and called on developed countries to “urgently fulfil their commitment to jointly mobilize USD100 billion dollars per annum as climate finance to developing countries to rebuild trust.”

On new collective quantified goal for finance (NCQG) (which is to be agreed to by 2025), the spokesperson said that “G77 and China demands that in-depth deliberations on the quantum of the new goal, as well as its timeline, should commence in a timely and systematic manner.”

Citing the group’s concern over the lack of progress on the Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh work programme on Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), the spokesperson reiterated that adaptation is a “crucial priority” for developing countries and that “COP 27 must achieve significant progress on expediting access to finance for advancing the formulation and implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).”

“We expect that COP 27, through a substantive decision, provide guidance on organizing the second half of the work programme in a manner that the objectives set out in Decision 7/CMA.3 are achieved. It is also imperative that developed countries should provide a quantitative and time-bound delivery and tracking plan on the pledged doubling of adaptation finance from 2019 levels by 2025,” said Pakistan on behalf of the G77 and China.

Bolivia, speaking for the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) said that “Consistent with the theme of ‘Implementation’, for developing countries, the provision of the means of implementation…from developed to developing countries, are fundamental for our climate actions, as we also strive to eradicate poverty and enable sustainable development in our countries. This is the basis for enhanced equity-based international cooperation on climate change envisioned under the UNFCCC and its PA.”

“Much of the impacts we are facing today are the effects mainly due to the historical and cumulative emissions of developed countries, who have till today, not rapidly reduced their emissions despite all their promises to do so, and not provided any significant support to developing countries, failing in reaching their commitments under the Convention,” Bolivia explained.

The LMDC expected strong outcomes and progress on the delivery of climate finance, across the several agenda items, emphasising that “Due attention must be given to access issues, public sources of finance, and the quality of instruments and channels of climate finance for developing countries. In this context, arriving at a definition of climate finance is very important to identify the elements of finance in relation to achieving climate objectives and hold developed countries accountable to their climate finance commitments. In the context of the NCQG, we need to begin discussing the quantum urgently.”

On adaptation, Bolivia said, “We would like to see concrete delivery on doubling of climate finance as well as positive progress in relation to the discussions, definition and approaches to achieve the GGA with a stronger linkage to the provision by developed countries to developing countries of the means of implementation needed for adaptation” adding that “the CMA 4 should have a clear and substantive decision to capture the progress made so far in the GGA work programme, including identifying parameters of the GGA, with the aim of achieving the goal.” 

On loss and damage, the LMDC expects the SNLD be made operational that are consistent with developing countries’ needs and priorities, with funding arrangements provided by developed countries and also highlighted the need to take a decision to enhance the provision of finance provided by developed countries to developing countries to avert, minimize, and address the loss and damage, as well as agreement on the dual governance of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) under the Convention and its PA.

As regards Article 6 of the PA on cooperative approaches, the LMDC emphasized the need to achieve equal progress in the implementation of the Glasgow Committee on Non-market Approaches as well as the other mechanisms that advance cooperative approaches.

On the Mitigation Work Program, it hoped that the process “will help developed countries to fully realize their historical responsibility, challenges and gaps to achieve their pre-2020 commitments, and how to operationalize mitigation in the context of equity and CBDR”.

Zambia, for the African Group called for the delivery of an ambitious adaptation package at COP 27 to significantly scaling up adaptation action and support. “…this includes a delivery plan for at least doubling the provision of adaptation finance by 2025; expediting the implementation of NAP and adaptation component of NDCs; addressing the gaps in adaptation assessments and methodologies through inviting an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) special report on the global goal on adaptation as part of its 7th assessment cycle; and delivering a substantive CMA4 decision on the GGA…by defining the targets, elements and the action and support needed to achieve the global goal…including providing guidance and laying out a clear roadmap for the successful delivery on the GGA in the upcoming year,” said the spokesperson.

On the SNLD, the African Group expects a complete set of decisions that will operationalise the Network, including its governance structure, secretariat, and funding for its operation, and ensure the effective implementation of the functions of the Network…,” said Zambia.

It also expressed the group’s continued disappointment over the unfulfilled USD100 billion per year goal by 2020 from developed to developing countries and underscored the importance of delivering the USD100 billion as soon as possible for building trust and faith in the multilateral process of addressing climate change.

Antigua and Barbuda speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) referred to the grave and irreversible consequences of climate change and more loss and damage and the lack of capacity of Small Island States to cope, adding that “We are not here negotiating against each other; we are here negotiating against the climate.”

“This new agenda item on loss and damage funding reflects the floor of what is acceptable; it is our bare minimum. The concessions of AOSIS should not be to the detriment of our vulnerable women, men and children. Our negotiations at COP 27 must be constructive and lead to a substantive outcome…. AOSIS is here to agree to the establishment of a new Loss and Damage Response Fund at COP 27 that is operational by 2024. We are here, so that we can go back to our own homes, and not become climate-displaced people in yours,” it emphasised further. “We will not be silent victims to the cost of pollution created by others, for the profit of the few,” AOSIS said further.

Senegal for the Least developed Countries (LDCs) said that the need of climate financing continues to increase but the climate finance available is woefully short of actual needs. It further said that members of the group also have accumulated debt which goes hand in hand with the lack of climate financing and reduces the fiscal financial space for the pursuit of sustainable development. Hence, there is a need to double funding for adaptation by 2025 and also focus on the quantitative and qualitative targets for climate financing and the continued disbursement of these funds must reflect the needs of LDCs. It said further that the LDCs also need additional financing and additional support to deal with loss and damage. It called speeding up work and begin to put in place a financing mechanism because those who have suffered from the climate crisis cannot wait for the lengthy negotiation process. The group would like to see the SNLD to work on intersessional basis with its own secretariat and own resources so that it can discharge its mandate.

Venezuela spoke on behalf of itself as well as Cuba and Bolivia and said that, “…it’s not the time to sweep the truth under the carpet and we cannot allow capitalism to move us further down the path just to give them (developed countries) further opportunity to promote neo-colonialism or what we have chosen to call ‘carbon colonialism’.”

It said further that, “we need to actually implement the UNFCCC and PA and to do so, the developed countries need to live up to their pledges of mobilising and providing at least USD100 billion dollars on an annual basis and to substantially increase climate financing that is directly accessible and has no strings attached, given their responsibility for the current climate crisis and climate debt. For COP 27, it expected more ambitious commitments in the area of adaptation, loss and damage, mitigation and the provision of means of implementation, as well as the implementation of non-market approaches.

Colombia speaking for the Independent Alliance of Latin American and the Caribbean nations (AILAC) said it expects the doubling of climate finance for adaptation while noting the failure of the developed countries in delivering their commitments of the USD100 billion dollars per year. It also pointed out the quality of the financing which resulted in greater indebtedness and left the developing countries with limited fiscal space in order to invest in carbon neutrality and climate resilience. The group reiterated the importance of mainstreaming the vision of seismic and systemic change and climate-resilient development, particularly important as we begin to structure the new financial architecture under this multilateral agreement. Colombia said that it is also important in relation to the NCQG, it needs to meet the real needs of developing countries in terms of climate financing which can be measured in trillions of dollars.

The European Union (EU) stated that COP 27 must send a strong political signal on the importance of scaling up action on loss and damage, adding that the EU is committed to enhancing finance for averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage and is looking to further discussing the strength and weaknesses of existing arrangements and to find fit for purpose solutions. The EU further stated that it is also keen to operationalise the SNLD to catalyse technical assistance in developing countries particularly vulnerable to climate change.

On the climate finance, the EU said that further work is needed in order to fulfil the collective finance goal set by developed countries, while noting the positive trend in the progress report of the delivery plan which provide confidence that the USD100 billion goal will be met in 2023. It reaffirmed that it will continue to being transparent in its progress and is committed to mobilize climate finance from all sources, instruments and channels. It also called on other developed countries that they must also step up and deliver on their commitments while creating the enabling conditions to improve the effectiveness of mobilizing finance.

Australia spoke on behalf of Iceland, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Ukraine, Japan, Norway and the United States in the Umbrella group and welcomed the work of the Adaptation Committee that provides critical technical information to enable Parties to better plan and take action on adaptation. On finance, the spokesperson said it is clear that the USD100 billion goal must be achieved as soon as possible and look forward to continue engagement on the NCQG, including through the high level ministerial dialogue. On loss and damage, the group sees that operationalising SNLD at this COP is a priority and also welcomed the new agenda item on funding arrangements for loss and damage.

Switzerland on behalf of the Environment Integrity Group (EIG) said that COP 27 must take decisive progress on operationalisation of the SNLD and looked forward to pursue deliberations on the GGA. It reiterated its deep commitment to adaptation and also to develop a comprehensive package of responses to the challenges of loss and damage.