The world faces a billion climate refugees if international leaders fail at crisis talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has warned at Cop27.
In a scathing attack on industrialized countries, he criticized the west for their role in causing climate catastrophe for developing countries because of their high carbon emissions.
Speaking at an event hosted by Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, Mottley said: “We are a people whose blood, sweat and tears financed the industrial revolution.
“Are we now facing the double danger of having to pay for the greenhouse gas costs of the industrial revolution? It's basically unfair."
He added: “We need to have a different approach, to allow grant-funded reconstruction grants to go forward, in disaster-affected countries. Unless that happens, we will see an increase in climate refugees. We know that by 2050, the world's current 21 million climate refugees will be 1 billion."
THE MAIN POINT
- Sunak says climate and energy security go 'together'
- Macron asks US, China to pay for their climate share
- Al Gore calls our fossil fuel addiction a 'culture of death'
- UN chief says world is on 'highway to climate hell'
- Billionaires are responsible for a million times more greenhouse gases, says Oxfam
- World faces one billion climate refugees if governments fail crisis talks, Barbados PM warns
Most watched topic on climate agenda- Part Two
Pay the damage
As the host of Cop27, Egypt has made the issue of “loss and damage”, or compensation for losses due to climate-related disasters, a focus.
Following the breakthrough at the weekend when this year's summit began, the issue is for the first time part of the formal agenda of UN talks.
Rich countries have resisted creating funding mechanisms that could demonstrate responsibility for historic climate damage, but developing countries are united in demanding that a Loss and Damage fund be created.
The United States and the European Union have shown more openness to serious discussions, but remain wary of creating funds, especially as they face domestic pressure to address economic weakness and the cost of living crisis caused by high energy prices.
Adapting to a warmer world
High-income countries have not fulfilled their pledge to provide $100 billion per year in climate finance. Only $80 billion per year was delivered in 2019. However, talks will address increasing that annual goal from $100 billion from 2025.
To date, about a quarter of that funding has been used for projects to adapt society to a warmer world.
Low-income and climate-vulnerable countries want to ensure that the share spent on adaptation is doubled by 2025 - a promise made at last year's UN climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland.
That's still a bit of what experts say is needed: a report by the United Nations Office for Trade and Development estimates adaptation costs in developing countries will reach $300 billion by 2030.
Most-watched topic on the climate agenda- Part One
Here are some of the most-watched topics on the agenda at the sunrise resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where forecasters have warned of the possibility of a failed sixth monsoon season.
Fossil fuels and decline
Countries at last year's COP26 talks agreed for the first time to "gradually reduce" coal production and cut other fossil fuel subsidies. The voluntary party agreement also touts plans to curb fossil fuel financing and limit planet-warming methane emissions, particularly from fossil fuels and industrial agriculture.
But the energy disruption caused by the war in Europe has led some EU members to reopen or extend the life of coal plants and to lock down shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Meanwhile, China continues to approve new coal mines, and Vietnam and Indonesia are working to increase coal production.
The pullback by major powers in their pledge to move away from fossil fuels has led some countries, especially in Africa, to call for formal recognition that they should be allowed to develop their fossil fuel reserves.
The United Arab Emirates, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and host of next year's COP28 talks, said it would be a "responsible supplier" of oil and gas for as long as the world needs it.This article was written by EDUKASI CAMPUS.