Talks on the global fund for victims of climate change might be delayed after governments missed a deadline to appoint members to a committee taking the issue forward.
At last November’s Cop27 climate summit, governments decided to generate a fund for vulnerable communities hit by climate disaster – a breakthrough after decades of stalemate. But contentious questions remain.
A 24-member transitional committee is placed to deliberate on who pays, who benefits and who oversees how cash is allocated to the ground, in front of the next major conference in Dubai.
The deadline for negotiating blocs to appoint committee members was 15 December 2023. By 31 January, only ten members had been announced.
One source active in the committee, who didn't desire to be named, told Climate Home: “This really is delaying the procedure a lot as we have plenty of organisational matters that need to be agreed before work can begin, and an already crazy international schedule of meetings.”
Another committee source said: “The delay gives a wrong signal that Parties are relaxed and not really assessing the amount of work needed. Official jobs are expected to start in March but there is a lot of prep that should happen before.”
Saleemul Huq, a Bangladeshi climate scientist and veteran of 27 Cop talks, said the delay was “certainly worrying” and “will leave almost no time for that work [the committee] must do before Cop28”.
According to the Cop27 decision, the committee should have its first meeting by 31 March and a minimum of two more meetings after the year.
The committee is anticipated to provide an in depth proposal at Cop28 in November, spelling out the way a fund to compensate victims of climate change works.
Competition for places
Various regional groupings are entitled to seats on the committee.
African, Latin American and Caribbean, and small island developing states have made their choices, as have the presidencies of Cop27 and Cop28.
Developed countries, which blocked loss and damage talks for many years before relenting last year, were allocated ten members. They have yet to nominate them.
A source with knowledge of their position asserted they'll announce each one of these nominations right after several formalities have been finished.
The bloc of the world's least developed countries (LDCs), has yet to nominate its two members. Developing countries within the Asia-Pacific region haven't nominated their two.
A source with knowledge of developing countries' position told Climate Home that the delay was because nine countries wanted these four spots and were unwilling to back down.
Madeleine Diouf, chair of the LDC group told Climate Home she expected nominations to become finalised this week.
Harjeet Singh from Climate Action Network International said that “any delay in establishing the institution will stall momentum in providing support to individuals already facing climate impacts”.
Nominations have been produced by the African group, the Latin American and Caribbean region, small island developing states, by the United Arab Emirates as Cop28 president and developing states not contained in other categories.
The Latin American and Caribbean region has split its three members between six individuals. The very first three will hand over to the next three at the end of June.
A spokesperson for the UN global warming division said: “We are intending to contain the transitional committee meeting as mandated by end of March. All groups are actively focusing on finalizing their nominations and that we expect a full group of nominations this month.”
