A matter of life or death: At COP26, vulnerable countries tell developed nations it’s time to keep their promise on climate finance

His main call: Developed countries must keep their promise of finance and aid to small states that are at risk of losing much in the fight against climate change.

“From the sea was born life, peace and comfort, a world that most people did not know, but that belonged to my people … We will remember the time when our homes were proud and high, as they stand today No. That place has now been taken by the sea”.

the eighth day of united nations climate conference It began with a poem recited by an activist from Papua New Guinea, an island nation located in the southwestern Pacific. Her words echoed throughout the meeting room in the Blue Zone, while tears were seen rolling down her cheeks.

“We will never know when the tide rises and swallows our homes. Our cultures, our languages ​​and our traditions will be taken by the ocean. When you say 2030 to 2050, how can you see a time frame of 9 to 29 years, when my people have proved that we must act now and waste no more time,” she said, Explaining that the sea once gave life to his people, has now become “the executioner”.

She was not alone. Just a few meters away in an isolated room, another young woman and survivor of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines just eight years ago, had an equally strong message for the world:

“When the death toll reached 6,000, they stopped counting, but 1,600 bodies are still missing. Even today we are calling for justice for our friends and families who have lost their lives due to climate disasters. The youth of the Philippines are fighting for a future that is not riddled with worry and fear that another Haiyan may come at any moment to threaten the lives and dreams of our loved ones. We do not deserve to live in fear”, she said.

For him, COP26 should be an opportunity to champion the ‘loss and damage agenda’.

“Today exactly eight years after Haiyan has made a huge difference to the lives of the people of the Philippines, the effects of climate change are only going to get worse. They should not wait for justice,” she said, calling on companies and other carbon emitters. should be held responsible.

The Battle of ‘Loss and Loss’

The term ‘loss and damage’ is used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCCThe process of referring to the damage caused by man-made climate change.

However, the proper response to the issue has been disputed since the adoption of the Convention.

Establishment of liability and compensation for losses and damages for vulnerable and developing countries has been a long-standing goal in negotiations between the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Group of Least Developed Countries. However, developed countries have resisted calls for a proper discussion on the issue for years.

“Six Years Later” Paris Agreement, which has its own article on Loss and Damage, an agenda item small countries still have to contend with [this] In the COP,” said a representative of the NGO Climate International during a press conference.

The second big topic of the day: optimization, also includes a finance issue. Leaders of developing states on the small islands made it clear last week that commitments on forests, agriculture, private finance and other matters are still not enough.

“We welcome the new commitments we made last week, but honestly I can’t feel any enthusiasm for them… Many new promises are missing, and others have appeared with insufficient commitments that only succeeded in putting a speedbump. The road that leads to the wrong side of 1.5 degree warming,” said Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.

UNDP/Silke von Brockhausen

The South Pacific archipelago of Tuvalu is susceptible to sea level rise due to climate change.

broken promise

Last week’s announcement that a $100 billion annual pledge for climate finance initiatives in developing countries would be delayed again was the ‘big elephant of the room’ on Monday, but was acknowledged by many leaders.

“Developed nations are failing us, they are meant to make a difference with resources and technology, yet they have given up on clean energy and adaptability by missing out on a two-year-long pledge of $100 billion… We, the weakest are told to suck it up and wait till 2023”, Mr Bainimarama said.

The prime minister reminded that since the signing of the Paris Agreement, 13 cyclones have affected Fiji, and as such, building resilience should not be delayed, and for this, funding is needed “plain and simple.”

“I am not prepared with every Fiji to secure our food chain and ensure that we can develop our island economy. We have solutions and we are always eager to show our experience”, he Told representatives that they have already offered asylum to the people of the island nations of Kiribati and Tuvalu if their homes are the first to disappear.

Grenada’s climate and environment minister, Simon Steele, also said the promises made last week needed to be deceived to show meaningful action on the ground.

“Climate change is not an abstract thing for us in the islands. It is real and it is lived every single day. And if mitigation is a marathon that is driving us to that 1.5 goal, adaptation is a sprint as we protect lives and livelihoods. to fight with the implications and the urgency”, he underlined.

Meanwhile, Marshall Islands climate envoy Kathy Jetnil-Kijner said science is starting to reveal that adaptation measures are going to cost more than $100 billion a year.

“We are looking at several billions of dollars to implement our national adaptation plans. We have received preliminary studies that show us estimates of tens of billions for reclaiming land, uplifting parts of our land, and for internal migration. When we negotiate a new finance target by 2025 it should be based on science. The first target was an estimate,” she explained.

UNFCCC/Kiara Worth

Former US President Barack Obama addressed the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where he encouraged delegates to face the challenge of the climate crisis.

Obama, the ‘Island Kid’, calls for ‘action now’

In a surprise to some COP26 attendants, former US President Barack Obama attended a meeting with representatives of the island states.

Born and raised in Hawaii, he calls himself an ‘island kid’ and says the world is not enough for the islands, which are more in danger than ever before.

“It’s not something that’s 10, 20 or 30 years down the road: it’s there now, and we have to act now,” he said.

He invited the delegates to unite the forces and move forward.

Quoting an old Hawaiian, Mr. Obama said: “If you want to paddle a canoe it’s better to have you all sail in the same direction at the same time. That’s the only way you move.” That’s the feeling that you need to move on.”

Later in the day, Mr Obama addressed the COP26 plenary, where he expressed his commitment to advancing climate action as a private citizen and clarified that keeping temperatures below 1.5C is going to be ‘difficult’.

“International cooperation has always been difficult; This is made all the more difficult these days by the misinformation and hype emanating from social media… it takes time for people to work together on a global scale, and that time we don’t have… By the time you work hard enough, those partial victories add up. ”

He also encouraged the youth to talk to their families about climate change.

“Our planet has been injured by our actions. Those wounds will neither heal today nor tomorrow.” [but] I believe we can secure a better future. We have to do it.” He said.

COP26 Negotiation Status

Meanwhile, the COP26 Presidency held a ‘Stock Take Event’ to discuss the current state of negotiations at the conference. Rightly so, representatives of developing countries made a strong call to address the remaining items left on the agenda, with a special emphasis on finance.

He also said that the plethora of commitments announced last week are welcome, but the action remains to be seen.

“A COP without a solid finance cannot be called successful,” said the Guinean ministerial negotiator representing the countries of the G77 and China.

“We are disappointed that developed countries are not ready to discuss finance matters”, he said, accusing them of making some “empty promises”.

Antigua and Barbuda, representing the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), addressed the uncertainty of adaptation finance as well as a failure by developed countries to provide $100 billion of climate finance, emphasizing that ambitions must be too high. needed.

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one listens to it, it does not make a sound. NS NDC The synthesis incident occurred late at night in a small room with a musical interval. Friends, we were not there to hear this. The report reveals a vast ambition gap, we need stronger 2030 NDCs with concrete implementation plans”, the minister said, adding that the report, which discusses national commitments to reduce carbon emissions, instead of 45 emissions. This indicates an increase of 13 percent in India. A decrease of the percentage is needed to stop global warming.

Bhutan, which represents the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDC), lamented that public statements made by countries often differed from what was heard in talks.

“We came to Glasgow with high hopes. We need stronger commitments to ensure the survival of the billions of people living in LDCs in the future. There are still major things in the talks that we need to resolve this week”, He underlined.

The delegates were referring to the objects of transparency, carbon markets, the so-called ‘Paris rulebook’. [the rules needed to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement], as well as finance, which will be announced by the COP26 presidency in this final week of talks.

United Nations News/Laura Quiñones

Bernard Ivekia, a Tuvalu student, poses for a photo at his country’s COP26 pavilion at the climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

‘life or death’

For Bernard Ivekia, a student who came from the islands of Tuvalu in the Pacific, words are not enough to explain the existence of his people.

“There are already five islands around Tuvalu that have disappeared, and I want world leaders to set pledges, but still act before my country disappears completely”, he told UN News. Told in the country pavilion, which has images of a group of polar bears. and a penguin that shares with its people the threat of extinction due to climate change.

For the young poet from Papua New Guinea, whose moving oratory opened up to today’s events, the real solutions lie within communities, so their support for adaptation and mitigation is imperative.

“Remove the deadline. My people are the solution. This is our land, and we have ties. Let us work together and let us tell our story. Trust us to lead your solutions locally and act now.”