November 30, 2023
Justice delayed is justice denied.
Last year, COP27 ended with a historical victory: a landmark agreement on a Loss and Damage Fund that has been advocated by vulnerable countries for decades [1].
As developed countries avoided accountability for over thirty years, vulnerable countries increasingly suffered the unavoidable risks of climate change that constitute Loss and Damage. The Philippines, which has contributed less than 1% of global emissions, suffered in the last decade the most powerful tropical cyclones at landfall in history [2]. The strongest, Supertyphoon Goni, affected over two million people – 700,000 of whom were children [3]. Just two (2) weeks later, Supertyphoon Vamco struck and left over 5.18 million people impacted and over PhP20 billion (USD360.67 million) in damages [4]. However, the damages we cannot quantify are far greater: the loss of a loved one or the culture and sense of belonging tied to a hometown no longer habitable.
This perpetual state of calamity is the lived reality, the new normal, of developing countries that suffer the brunt of the crisis they have contributed the least to and have the least resources to cope with. Meanwhile, over half of all carbon emissions can be attributed to just 23 developed countries [5] that continue to delay true climate action.
The behavior developed countries have consistently negotiated with is an insult not only to Loss and Damage, but also to the very spirit of solidarity upon which the Paris Agreement was built. With every attempt to evade responsibility, developed countries are looking at the plight of vulnerable communities, the diminishing future of today’s youth, and the loss of life on earth as we know it, and saying: let them suffer.
Pakistan Climate Minister Sherry Rehman stated, “The establishment of a fund is not about dispensing charity. It is clearly a downpayment on the longer investment in our shared futures.” [6] More than that, it is a downpayment on the climate justice we are owed.
COP28 must ratify the agreement on Loss and Damage, establish clarity on its implementation, and ensure its swift activation, lest it share the fate of past climate “commitments”. Take for example adaptation finance for developing countries, which falls five to ten times below estimated needs [7]. Or, to take it back to basics, Nationally Determined Contributions: the present pledges of national governments put the world on track for 2.5C, catastrophically above the 1.5C target and a death sentence for millions [8].
Without the means and will for implementation, targets and agreements are just words.
We, the Filipino youth, urge World Leaders at COP 28 to:
Make no mistake: the Loss and Damage Fund is crucial to the survival of vulnerable countries in a warming world. However, it will mean nothing in the end if we do not keep alive the target of 1.5C. It is not lost on us that COP27 allowed the world’s biggest plastic polluter to be a sponsor and COP28 takes it one step further by appointing an oil tycoon as no less than the COP President.
We must never forget the root cause of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. The UN’s 2023 Production Gap Report shows governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 that would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5C [11]. Despite shiny promises of net zero, top fossil fuel producers plan even more extraction. We must expedite the just and sustainable energy transition and halt these fossil fuel expansion plans from ever rolling out.
We welcome the first Global Stocktake set for this year’s COP, which will force us to take a long, hard look at where we are — which is nowhere near meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. As such, we assert that the evaluation of the global stocktake should be a recurring, integral part of every COP, as its insights can be used to recalibrate strategies, utilizing the best available science, and to ensure accountability. While the Global Stocktake is a significant initiative, the urgency of climate action demands continuous monitoring and assessment. Its current frequency of every five (5) years may not suffice to maintain the momentum needed for impactful solutions. More frequent tracking and reporting within shorter time periods would better drive consistent and accelerated progress. Commitment to transparency in reporting must be a cornerstone to ensure that the true state of the climate crisis is not downplayed and everyone has an accurate understanding of the progress made and the challenges that persist. Above all, insights gained from these assessments should not merely serve as calls to action but must evolve into concrete legislative and implementation measures.
Keep the 1.5°C alive. We are building up only to burn back down if we don’t put out the fire.
Every COP is starting to feel like a rescue mission for 1.5C, a perpetual effort of resuscitation for humanity and for a planet on life support, but we keep the hope alive that the day will come when we truly begin to recover and strengthen, and all can live life beautifully. Until that day, we fight – for history has its eyes on us.
Through every age history has known, the youth have always been the world’s moral arbiters. We will speak truth to power. No matter the roadblocks placed in front of us, we will continue to show up. We implore world leaders to do the same. Show up at COP28 and every day with the spirit of solidarity and hope that drives us. Only then can we attain a sustainable and just world for all.
