- The Bonn Climate Conference showed the disconnect between the negotiation rooms and the reality on the ground of people suffering from the climate-induced loss and damage.
- Discussions across various issues offered no new breakthroughs – on overall finance, adaptation and emission reduction actions.
Despite their reassurances from COP26 to take finance and addressing loss and damage seriously through the last two weeks rich countries, particularly the EU, Switzerland and the USA, consistently stalled progress on discussions on loss and damage on the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage and on putting loss and damage finance on the formal agenda towards getting an outcome on a loss and damage finance facility from COP27.
The stark warnings from the IPCC report earlier this year and recent climate catastrophes all around the world seem to have made no dent on the moral and political landscape of historical polluters. While countries like Germany shop around for new sources of fossil fuels in the context of a brutal war in Ukraine they refuse to commit to additional and scaled up finance to communities who have done the least to cause this climate crisis and are experiencing unavoidable impacts even at 1.2C.
Developing countries stand united in their demand for a loss and damage finance facility and ask for discussions on loss and damage finance to be on the agenda at COP27.
This uncertainty and lack of leadership from rich polluters sets up challenges ahead of the G7 summit in two weeks, and in building trust before COP27.
Chiara Martinelli, Director, Climate Action Network Europe:
“People and the planet cannot afford the EU’s irresponsibility and lack of ambition that we have witnessed over the last weeks in Bonn and at home. The EU completely misses the point of what it is to be a climate leader. The EU should stop blocking progress on loss and damage and increase finance for adaptation. European countries also urgently need to massively ramp up their climate and energy targets, rather than displace oil and gas from Russia with those from developing countries, further locking them into fossil fuels. That’s what climate leader should do.”
Landry Ninteretse, Africa Regional Director, 350.org:
“Africa contributes the least to the global greenhouse gas emissions but suffers the most from the devastating impacts of climate change, which come at a high cost for these vulnerable nations. It is therefore appalling to witness attempts by representatives of developed nations to block climate reparations that would require them to pay for the damage caused by their polluting practices. Meanwhile, they are seeking to explore new sources of fossil fuels on the continent. Ahead of COP 27, we are calling for climate action that caters to the most vulnerable to climate change. Developed nations should and must pay for damage caused and support the recovery of African nations.”Lien Vandamme, Senior Campaigner, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL): lvandamme@ciel.org
“Just days after the Stockholm+50 UN Conference finally recognized the need to phase out fossil fuels, negotiators representing the wealthiest countries at the climate talks in Bonn resumed decades-long patterns of procrastination and inaction. The total lack of political will to deliver real solutions and finance for people and communities living the reality of climate impacts, breaches the obligations of these states to protect human rights including, the rights to water, food, health, and a healthy and sustainable environment. Developed countries must urgently come forward with credible finance commitments to address loss and damage and commit to immediately phasing out fossil fuels if they do not want to bear the responsibility of a collapse of the COP27 climate talks, in Egypt in November.”
Author: 350.org
