For Loss and Damage champions like Bangladesh, Sharm El Sheikh couldn't look sunnier.
Yesterday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed a further GBP 5 million to tackle Loss and Damage.
Her government was among the first to pledge money for loss and damage finance at COP26 in Glasgow when the rest of the developed world stood shoulder to shoulder to oppose talks on L and D financing.
That followed the breakthrough decision to put Loss and Damage finance officially on the agenda at COP27. This comes two days of heated negotiations that caused the opening plenary session to be delayed for hours. Usually, that sort of high drama comes at the end of a COP as the talks run into overtime.
Putting this on the official agenda allows countries, for the first time ever, to debate about who should pay to help communities most vulnerable to climate change.
It was a one-two punch of good news for climate vulnerable countries, on an issue that has sometimes resembled a prizefight. Previous negotiators have described developed world tactics on the issue as “bullying.”
Egyptian foreign minister and COP27 president Sameh Shoukry set the tone, saying talks should stress “cooperation and facilitation” rather than “liability and compensation.”
In his opening speech, Shoukry said the goal was to reach a conclusive decision on loss and damage “no later than 2024.”
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune from COP27, members of the ICCCAD delegation, headed by ICCCAD director and renowned climate scientist Saleemul Huq, described the news as positive but warned of tough negotiations ahead.
Huq, who is a longtime adviser to the LDC group and who has attended every COP, has been one of the world's most vocal champions of the Loss and Damage issue. The topic also ranks high on the Bangladesh delegation's agenda.
