Scots campaigners at COP27 have called for rich nations stump up cash for countries worst affected by global warming.
Delegates from SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) at COP27 in Egypt have demanded that wealthy nations honour cash pledges made in Glasgow last year to make up for “loss and damage”.
SCIAF – Scotland’s official relief and development agency – is helping people in Malawi and Zambia who have suffered hugely from global warming. Only two countries last year offered funding for loss and damage to developing countries - Denmark with £11.7million and Scotland £2million.
SCIAF Advocacy Officer Ben Wilson said: “Each day, climate change brings floods, droughts, storms and suffering to our poorest sisters and brothers – those who have done the least to cause the problem. This is totally unfair.
“It really is like someone burning down your home and refusing to put things right. It’s developed countries like us who caused the majority of the damage, so we need to make sure those who are responsible for climate change have to pay to clean up the mess they’ve made.”
At COP26 in Glasgow, the Scottish Government committed £2 million to help people recover from the damage caused by climate change – a world first.
“This was a welcome start, but on its own it’s simply not enough. Not enough to compensate for the hungry, the homeless, or those who are losing all hope.
“For this reason, we are calling on the UK government to build on Scotland’s example as we head into COP27. And we are calling on all world leaders to forge an agreement at the conference that will make sure the poorest countries can recover from climate disasters that they did not cause.
“It is vital that we support those living on a knife edge because of the climate crisis. It’s time to pay up. The time for action is now.”
Wilson travelled to Malawi in May this year, just a few months after the country was hit by Cyclones Ana and Gombe.
He said: “These storms displaced tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes, killed thousands of livestock and led to the loss of dozens of lives.
“Malawi has always been prone to extreme weather, but the intensity and the frequency of the extreme weather is increasing due to climate change.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to reveal how much extra cash Scotland will pay towards during the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The additional money will look “in particular at non-economic loss and damage that many countries are suffering,”
Tory MPs have condemned calls for the UK to pay loss and damage cash.
Britain gave £200million in official development assistance to Pakistan in 2020 and provided £26million in humanitarian support following deadly floods this year. Labour supports the return of UK development spending to 0.7 per cent of GDP.
