The world is falling short in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and find solutions to adapting climate change. As temperatures continue to rise and threaten the lives as well as livelihoods of vulnerable communities, actions and support remain insufficient. Moreover, for certain people and in some places, it is too late for attempts to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
For instance, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that even if effective actions were put in place to limit the rise of global temperatures to 1.5℃, losses and damage stemming from climate change are still not preventable. To put it simply, the world is warming up at a rate that is causing unavoidable consequences.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty that was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The UNFCCC sets a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing dangerous climate change. At the same time, it also provides a framework for nations to work together to address the causes of climate change as well as solutions to adapt to its impacts.
What is Loss and Damage?
Loss and damage refer to climate change’s negative consequences on the natural environment and human societies. These consequences include extreme heatwaves, frequent storms and flooding, sea level rise, desertification, and loss of biodiversity, amongst many others. All of these environmental changes can result in economic and non-economic loss and damage. Economic loss and damage include damage to crops, homes, and infrastructure. On the other hand, the non-economic aspects of loss and damage would harm human health, access to territory, cultural heritage, and biodiversity loss.
The Extent of Loss and Damage
Some loss and damage from climate change are unavoidable for two reasons. The first one is that climate change is often inevitable due to the extended period over which emitted greenhouse gases have fully affected the climate system. The second is the adaptation limits that we have over climate change. Loss and damage may occur if adaptation has not been optimally implemented or limits are reached.
One such example would be the financial cost of damage caused by extreme weather events – the flooding in Pakistan in 2022 is estimated to have caused losses of up to US$40 billion. Climate change has worsened flooding through an increase in rainfall intensity by an estimated 50 to 75%. As such, the floods affected over 30 million people, cost 1,600 lives, destroyed over 2 million houses, 13,000km of roads, and 18,000km2 of crops – putting crop losses at an estimated $2.3 billion.
The Implementation of Loss and Damage
In COP27 this year, nations worldwide have agreed to establish a loss and damage fund to help developing countries hit hard by global warming. While government leaders, environmentalists, and activists celebrated plans for the loss and damage fund, many questions ranging from how it will work to long-term repercussions, have yet to be discussed.
Developing countries claim that developed countries such as Canada and the United States have a historical responsibility for climate change. As such, they have called for compensation from these developed countries to help them address loss and damage that have already occurred as well as to minimise future loss and damage. However, these calls for compensation have always been a major red line for many wealthy nations across the globe.
Hence, with a shift in focus to minimising future harm, developed countries have sought to treat loss and damage as a sub-component of adaptation under the UN negotiations. The role is to enhance knowledge of risk management approaches, strengthen coordination to address loss and damage, and, most importantly, increase action and support, including finance, technology, and capacity-building.
Other ways of reducing loss and damage from climate change include increasing resilience before the occurrence of extreme weather events. For instance, by strengthening flood defences or establishing mechanisms to provide financial or social protection support to communities that have already been affected. Other opportunities to reduce loss and damage can also include rebuilding infrastructure to be more climate-resilient in the future.
A Step Toward a Better Future for All
As the world moves to address the ongoing climate crisis, establishing a loss and damage fund is undoubtedly a welcome breakthrough and an essential step forward to building more resilient societies. However, to ensure its successful implementation and operation, the UNDP must not make the same mistakes as the promise made at the 2009 UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen.
While recovery is much needed, focusing on that is akin to just treating symptoms. Though important, getting the details right on the loss and damage fund should not divert attention from an even more urgent priority. Prolonged delaying or failure to scale the loss and damage fund will only result in the most vulnerable suffering more losses from the ever-increasing negative impacts of climate change.
