Climate finance and developing countries

This is a summary of issues raised in various online reports and COP 26 decisions.

We know that getting climate justice for the nations most affected by climate change, who have contributed little or nothing in emissions, is a huge priority.   The most affected areas include Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands threatened by rising sea levels, parts of sub Saharan Africa and the Arctic and the Caribbean.

The pledge from Copenhagen 2009 to provide $100 billion a year starting 2020-25 has not yet been delivered – figures from 2019 show that poor countries were given $80 billion according to the OECD.

The two main distinctions are between money for projects aimed at mitigating green house gasses, such as developing alternative energy generation using solar panels, hydro and wind farms etc., and projects designed for adaptation, such as early warning systems for extreme weather events, air conditioning to counter extreme heat, resettlement of communities away from coastal areas and changing agricultural practices to crops more resistant to drought. Examples from the November Geographical magazine include creating mangrove seawalls in Indonesia, building amphibious rather than stilted houses in Vietnam and planting salt tolerant crops in Bangladesh.

Both approaches are valid but the key issue for developing countries is that only about 20% of the $80 billion funding allocated is for adaptation projects – Global North countries preferring to sell the type of material on which they can make a profit.

Global South countries are lobbying for the financial allocation between mitigation and adaptation to be 50:50, rather than the skewed distribution at present.

Another problem is the status of the finance provided. In 2019, 71% of the public climate finance took the form of loans rather than grants. This can suck poorer countries into a cycle of debt. They have to borrow money at punishing rates of interest to repair the effects of hurricanes and cyclones and, if they use their loan to pay for a project that gets destroyed in the next extreme weather event, they are left with a debt and no tangible benefit.

Small island states and the least developed countries are now lobbying for a new stream of funding for loss and damage, in addition to mitigation and adaptation projects. Historically, the Global North has been extremely reluctant to buy into this and resists any notion of funding being compensation or restitution.

Antigua, Barbuda and Tuvalu have announced a commission to explore if there might be legal grounds for loss and damage funding from polluting countries. 

COP 26 Decisions

Many developing countries were left very disappointed by the decisions made on issues which were critical for them. It would seem that the conference was a debate between Global North countries about how far they were prepared to go to reduce emissions, having accepted to some extent there was some urgency required to keep within 1.5 degrees Celsius. Some of the developing country decisions appear to be a holding operation to be considered at another day. 

Climate funding

There were new pledges from US, UK, Germany, Japan and others of climate funding which it is estimated would finally achieve $1 billion by at least 2025 or perhaps a little earlier if other funding could be brought in. Some experts are saying that funding in trillions would be more realistic.

There was a recommendation, rather than a requirement, that developed countries should double their collective provision for adaptation projects by 2025, but this would still fall short of the 50:50 provision requested by Global South countries and there was no detail concerning time scales and transparency.

There was a mention of the impact of debt levels carried by poorer countries for the first time but no indication of how this could be reduced. It does provide a marker for future discussion, however.

There was some recommendation about making funds available as grants but also recommendations about making cheap loans which still allowed wide discretion on the part of funders.

Jubilee Debt Campaign claims, however, looking at the small print, that some countries may pay their contributions out of their existing aid budget instead of making new money available which is in the spirit of the funding. This could include the UK.

Loss and Damage Funding

This was a very important issue for frontline island nations and others which was effectively sidelined, with the promise that a “dialogue on loss and damage would begin next year in Egypt.”

To their great credit, Scotland has promised £2 million to a special Loss and Damage Fund, managing this way to provide UK money, but circumventing Boris and the Treasury who have made no such pledge. Wallonia – an area of Belgium has also pledged 1 million euros.

There will be a huge head of steam on this issue by next year, particularly after another year of global warming induced weather events, so we will wait to see what transpires.

Indigenous People Support

Five countries, including the US and UK, and global charities have promised $1.7 billion to support indigenous people and the conservation of their land. How this gets to the grassroots in an effective way will need scrutiny.

Deforestation

A group of countries have pledged £14 billion by 2030 to halt and reverse global deforestation by restoring degraded land, managing wildfires and supporting indigenous people. This has included Brazil's president, who will need detailed supervision on this!

 

The introduction of an annual review of emissions pledges at COPs means we are now in continuous campaigning mode on this issue, which should increase important pressure.

By Alison Skinner

Stand up for Climate Justice – International Day of Action on COP26

As the COP26 UN climate talks are happening in Glasgow, people across the world stood up to call for climate justice on Saturday 6^th October. In Leicester, we worked with Climate Action Leicester and Leicestershire, Green Guardians, The Race Equality Centre and the City Retreat to run an afternoon of action. 

We started at the Clock Tower at 2:30 pm, where 170 people joined a silent vigil for climate justice. We wore black or white and held placards highlighting how the climate crisis is already affecting people around the world. Passers-by stopped to read the placards and take photos or film us. 

At 3:30 pm, we walked together down High Street, holding up banners and placards, and congregated in Jubilee Square. There, we formed ourselves into the shape of an eye and a photographer took an aerial photo of us from the balcony of the Villare Hotel. This was sent to Boris Johnson with the message: ‘Leicester is watching you. We want real action for climate justice at COP26. 

We then moved onto the City Retreat on Churchgate to share plant-based food, swap pre-loved clothes and write postcards to our MPs asking them to act on climate change. 

Here are some quotes from the organisers about why we need climate justice: 

“The richest countries in the world today are not those with the most valuable natural resources, but those that ruthlessly plundered the resources of others. Too often, it is Black and brown communities who have contributed least to the climate breakdown and yet end up suffering most. For either the climate action or racial justice movement to fully succeed, they must be treated as inextricably linked. This is why The Race Equality Centre, as the only Race Equality specific organisation in Leicester, must draw attention to the issue that Climate Justice is Racial Justice and bring together the voices of our communities to support the fight for the preservation of our planet.”

Anamaria Garcia, The Race Equality Centre 

“Climate justice means requiring that the countries and companies which have contributed the most to climate change now contribute the most to dealing with it. The wealthy UK has been a key carbon emitter and has profited in the process. Fossil fuel companies have known they are causing climate change for decades but have deliberately blocked action to reduce carbon emissions. The UK must pay a fair share to help the countries, communities and people worst affected to cope with the climate crisis and develop sustainably – and work to ensure that fossil fuel companies and other major carbon polluters are required to do the same.”

Zina Zelter, Climate Action Leicester and Leicestershire 

“Our actions, habits, and lifestyles are devastating the planet we all share and everyday bringing us closer to a global catastrophe. Already, numerous species, natural habitats, and millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations are at a crisis point.

The City Retreat is committed to this important cause and believe the International Day of Action for Climate Justice is an important way of holding governments and multinational corporations to account for meaningful action, while also highlighting what individuals and communities can and must do to make a difference. This is a responsibility on all of us and one we cannot afford to ignore, especially in the world’s wealthiest countries where we exert the greatest carbon footprint while the poorest pay the price for our lifestyles with their lives.”

Shaykh Shafi Chowdhury, City Retreat 

“The Global North has a duty to bring clean renewable energy to the countries, people and communities which have provided our raw materials for so long. The switch to renewable energy must include the Global South, not increase human rights abuses, exploitation and environmental destruction. This means stopping human rights abuses in energy supply chains, setting legally binding targets on reducing resource use, ending the wasteful use of energy and ensuring that everyone in every country has access to clean energy.”

Hannah Wakley, Leicester Friends of the Earth

Indigenous peoples conquest and revival

This longer article was written by Alison Skinner, a member of Leicester Friends of the Earth, to give an overview of the history of indigenous peoples. 

Summary

The UN estimates that there are currently around 370 million indigenous people living in over 70 countries. Most of us are aware of the way in which our European ancestors exploited indigenous peoples in the lands they conquered, but we also need to think about the new methods of social and economic oppression which are happening right now. It is also the case that indigenous people in many countries are not just passive victims of this process and where possible are acting individually and collectively to preserve their homes, communities and culture.