ASSISTANCE IS DESPERATELY NEEDED - LOOK TO THE PERPETRATORS....Rich countries have long resisted giving money specifically for the “loss and damage” that climate change is causing. During last year’s Cop26, the G77, a block of more than 130 developing countries, made a push to create a finance facility to support victims of climate-related disasters. The initiative was blocked by the EU and the US. Under the Paris Agreement, all countries agreed to address the “loss and damage associated with climate change impacts”. But rich countries have fiercely resisted providing specific finance for this, as they do not want to accept liability and risk being sued by climate vulnerable nations. During last year’s Cop26, the G77, a block of more than 130 developing countries, made a push to create a finance facility to support victims of climate-related disasters. The initiative was blocked by the EU and the US. Under the Paris Agreement, all countries agreed to address the “loss and damage associated with climate change impacts”. But rich countries have fiercely resisted providing specific finance for this, as they do not want to accept liability and risk being sued by climate vulnerable nations. Finally Denmark has become the first fully-fledged country to pledge funds to developing countries specifically for “tab og skader”, which translates to “loss and damage”. The Nordic nation committed 100 million DKK ($13m) to build resilience and help climate victims recover during a ministerial meeting on the sideline of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. While the amount pledged is relatively small compared to mitigation and adaptation finance, the move breaks a taboo among rich countries over giving money to address the unavoidable losses and damages already caused by climate change.Announcing the funds, Denmark’s development minister Flemming Møller Mortensen said: “I saw for myself in Bangladesh this spring that the consequences of climate change need increased focus.” “It is grossly unfair that the world’s poorest should suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, to which they have contributed the least. With this new agreement, we are putting action behind words,” he continued......and Five burning climate issues that the 2022 UN general assembly debated in September 2022.                https://climatechangenews.com/2022/09/20/denmark-first-country-pledge-loss-and-damage-finance/?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&utm_content=20220921&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20Daily                   .......and even International

Denmark has become the first UN member state to pledge loss and damage finance: cash for developing countries to recover from climate losses and damages which couldn’t be adapted to. This is a critical milestone. While the amount pledged is small, the symbol is mighty. In practice, it will demonstrate what loss and damage support can look like on the ground. Part of the money is earmarked for innovative partnerships with civil society groups working to address loss and damage in affected countries. Another chunk is for an existing insurance initiative, which sponsors insurance in poorer countries. These mechanisms have been criticised by some campaigners who argue that poor nations are still left with a bill and that insurance isn’t a solution to slow-onset events such as sea-level rise. Who pays for damages caused by climate disasters remains a difficult conversation. Addressing the UN general assembly in New York, UN chief António Guterres sought to offer a solution. He told advanced economies to tax oil and gas companies’ windfall profits and channel some of the revenues to vulnerable nations recovering from climate impacts.But the most ambitious idea came from Barbados’ prime minister Mia Mottley: an overhaul of the financial systemthat, she says, can deliver trillions of dollars for investing in climate action and resilience. It will require reforming the IMF and the World Bank and a massive expansion of cheap lending to developing countries. Mottley tested out the plan with a select group of leaders during a retreat in Bridgetown this summer. This week, she took it to the rest of the world. Her plan will require the leadership of the top financial institutions. That of World Bank president David Malpass has come under serious questions. Malpass repeatedly refusedto say whether he accepts that burning fossil fuels is warming the planet during an interview with New York Times’ reporter David Gelles. The exchange sparked global outcry and widespread calls for the US, the bank’s largest shareholder, to push Malpass out. The Trump-appointed banker laterrowed back on his comments in an interview with CNN. Yet the row is unlikely to be forgotten quickly.....and more                                 https://mailchi.mp/climatehome/compact-for-climate-frontlines?e=fc4cf169d1                                                      

Would you put your child or grandchild on a plane that has a one chance in 20 of a disastrous crash? It’s hard imagining anyone doing that, but it is essentially what we are doing to our kids and grandkids by not raising our voices about climate change and the 1-in-20 chance that disaster lies ahead for them. It is bad enough that we are likely on the path to exceed the 3.6 degree Fahrenheit goal stated in the Paris Agreement, which will result in dire consequences such as increasing droughts and wildfires and inundation of low lying coastal areas because of sea level rise. If we continue on that path without taking the necessary actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, there is a 5 percent chance of catastrophic consequences — even an existential threat to humanity by mid-century, according to experts at the Scripps Institute. Would you put your child or grandchild on a plane that has a one chance in 20 of a disastrous crash? Think of one person who is much younger than you whom you care deeply about — a son, daughter, grandchild, sibling, niece, nephew — and whisper their name and put them on that plane and watch them take off on their journey. Then consider what their future holds given what is happening all around us — it’s getting warmer, large wildfires are more frequent in California, it’s getting too hot to fly planes out of Phoenix, there are more downpourshitting New York City and Boston, and Alaska is melting. And then consider what that younger person’s life journey looks like in a changing climate: It’s not going to get better. By attaching the name of someone you care about, it becomes personal and for many, strikes home. We care about our kids and grandkids. In the USA, there are an estimated49 million children under the age of 12, and more than 70 million who are under 18. They can’t vote, and few contribute to political causes or participate in political debates. They don’t have a lot of power, although they are gaining ground on their own in thecourts. They are depending on us to ensure a safe and prosperous future, like that air traffic controller who is keeping your loved one safe, but let’s take a look at what lies ahead for them. Ask yourself, what course, what flight plan, are we setting for their future?  Our kids face the consequences of our choices.....read more          https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/08/31/climate-change-global-warming-extreme-weather-disaster-column/1113923002/