bir yıl önce

Worst-hit Africa seeks $100 bn annually from biggest polluters

On the third day of COP27, developed countries have been called upon once again to rise to the occasion and fulfil their pledge of financing $100 billion a year to the developing world to combat the climate crisis.

The promise was made in Copenhagen in 2009, at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Developed countries pledged to finance $100 billion a year to developing nations by 2020. It was a crucial move in humanity’s fight against the burgeoning climate crisis– the funds were meant to facilitate adaptation and mitigation measures in nations suffering the most.

In 2015, at COP21 in Paris, the goal was reiterated with the Paris Agreement on climate change.

To this day, however, that promise has not materialised. And now, at COP27, developing nations are demanding accountability.

With mitigation measures against the climate crisis on the agenda, the African group of negotiators in this year’s UNCCC have demanded that developed countries pledge $100 billion in annual funds to facilitate and sustain the momentum in implementing mitigation measures.

“As Chair of the African group of negotiators here at the conference, we feel that we have to address the key issues around the commitment to financing under the Paris Agreement as a measure of credibility,” Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema said.

“We need a strong international commitment as we seek exceptional milestone outcomes from this conference.”

In addition to seeking accountability for the $100 billion funds, Hichilema proposed that a common global template on carbon trading should be created as part of mitigation and adaptation efforts against the climate crisis.

“A crisis like this should not divide us but enhance our cooperation as the league of nations in one of the surest ways to defeat climate change,” he said, urging collaboration.

“We must come out of this COP27 stronger, as a united voice with a common purpose to fight against climate change,” he added.

Loss and damage

One key topic on the COP27 agenda dominating the discussions on climate funding is the much-debated climate reparations called “loss and damage”.

Developing countries, which are suffering the most from the impacts of climate crises, are demanding that they be compensated by rich nations that are leading the progression of the climate crisis.

So far, however, rich nations had mostly been steering clear of the reparations and refusing to claim accountability for the suffering of poorer nations that are least responsible, but most affected.

Africa contributes to merely 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions but is the hardest hit by the climate crisis.

The agenda item was announced as part of the discussions during Sunday’s opening session of COP27, and “reflects a sense of solidarity and empathy for the suffering of the victims of climate-induced disasters”, said COP27 President Sameh Shukri of Egypt.