According to Anadolu agency on 14th of November, Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), told Anadolu Agency that G20 countries must be at the forefront of action on emissions reduction and loss and damage because the longer countries delay climate mitigation, the more costly it will be in both humanitarian and economic terms.
In reference to Antonio Guterres’ remarks on loss and damage, she stressed that COP27 must provide a clear and time-bound roadmap to close the finance gap for addressing loss and damage, which is the key to a successful COP27, adding that progress on this issue is absolutely crucial.
“When we look at how much the G20 countries have delayed climate action, especially those with a long historical carbon trail, and the fact that the G20 countries are responsible for 75% of all emissions, then clearly we need to see action on emissions reduction and on loss and damage,” Andersen said.
“The longer we delay climate mitigation, the more expensive it will be in terms of adaptation costs, loss and damage,” she added.
Although developed countries committed to providing $100 billion per year in 2019 to address the needs of developing countries by 2020, obtaining this money has been hard, she said.
Some progress on this has been made as countries are closer to committing $83 billion in 2022, but she warned that “the $100 billion is the floor, not the ceiling.”
“Progress on loss and damage is critical. We understand that the bill is being paid by the poorest, those who have contributed the least carbon,” she said.
According to UNEP’s latest report, the developing world needs as much as $340 billion a year by 2030 for adaptation to climate change.
Photo: inger Andersen || UNEP
