Lilongwe meet to interrogate financing climate-related emergencies 

Lilongwe, Malawi 22 April 2022: The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance and its Designated National Platform in Malawi, the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) are set to hold a conference on the loss and damage and climate finance from April 24 to April 29 2022. The meeting is to help shape the narratives for Africa ahead of the 27^th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) set for November in Egypt.

According to the experts, Africa is one of the hardest-hit continent by the climate crisis. Yet pollution created elsewhere is washing up on our shores along with some of the worst-ever winds, cyclones, droughts and fires, flooding and associated hazards like locusts.

This climate-related “Loss & Damage” has already, just in the 21^st century, hit hard on a number of African countries notably – South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Chad, Kenya and other horn of Africa nations. 

Most of Africa faces ‘extreme risk.’ As such compensation for this Loss & Damage should continue to be stressed by Africa’s UNFCCC negotiations as urgent. However, the UN has continued to downplay its significance.

However PACJA seeks to build and consolidate analysis and make more coherent and unified voice from the African continent prior to the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt.

The regional conference in Malawi will ensure that matters of loss and damage receive high visibility in the run-up to the Egypt-hosted 27 Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) later in November 2022.  The conference aims to achieve three broad outcomes 

• Derive a common understanding of the extent of Loss & Damages, the scope of past climate-related damage as correlated by professionals and model anticipated damages
• Influence the extent to which African civil society, governments and other Actors will use the concept of Loss & Damage to cover not only mortality and physical damage correlated with climate change, but also the costs of climate-proofing our societies, given the high adaptation and resilience expenditures required and opportunity costs for mitigation
• Consolidate on mapping of different spaces for conscious raising, opportunities, strategies and to raise Loss & Damage claims through advocacy in COP27 and beyond

Message Guide for Media on Loss and Damage

“Loss and damage” is are a concept that is broader than climate adaptation and should be conflated with liability or compensation.

The effects of climate change are becoming more frequent and severe, as a recent series of droughts, floods, wildfires, and storms in Africa and around the globe attest. Countries are therefore increasingly focused on the question of how to address climate-related harm—known as loss and damage in the language of the international climate negotiations—both individually and through multilateral forums, such as the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC.

The phrase “loss and damage” can refer to permanent loss or repairable damage caused by the manifestations of climate change, including both severe weather events and slow-onset events, such as sea level rise and desertification. It can also refer to economic or noneconomic harm, such as loss of life, livelihoods, ecosystems, or cultural heritage.

Africa is a hotspot of vulnerability to the adverse impacts of human-induced climate change

Based on existing emissions trends and mitigation pledges, the science shows we are on course to a 4°C world by 2100. At such warming levels, impacts for Africa are expected to be very substantially greater than if warming were held below 2ºC above pre-industrial levels

For example

• Rates of undernourishment in the Sub-Saharan African population are projected to increase by 25-90% compared to the present at a warming of around 1.5°C by 2050. The negative impacts of climate change on nutrition are projected to increase the proportion of children severely stunted by 50% compared to a future without human-induced climate change. (Lloyd, Kovats, & Chalabi, 2011)

The need for adaptation measures to cope with these projected impacts is significant. However, the Loss and Damage in Africa report shows that under all warming scenarios and despite strong adaptation efforts in the region, considerable adverse effects of climate change will be felt in Africa, resulting in further loss and damage

Some Policies papers related to Loss and Damages

• Paris Agreement (2015)
• UNFCCC

Financially redressing loss and damage is indispensable to avoid severe global instability

It is high time that many policymakers accept that many developing countries need financial support to address climate-induced loss and damage. Otherwise, vulnerable countries would be at risk of becoming imprisoned in a vicious cycle of climate shocks and escalating financial and socio-economic risks, which would erode their ability to attract the investment necessary to overcome poverty and to meet their SDGs. Thus, without the mobilization of climate finance to minimize and redress climate-induced loss and damage, these countries may ultimately face the risk of either ending up as failed states or becoming largely dependent on international support (Brot für die Welt 2019). Responding to (instead of ignoring) this facet of the implementation of the Paris Agreement is not only a clear matter of climate justice, a humanitarian and ethical imperative, and a human rights obligation, it is also an economic and political requirement, and in the self-interest of wealthy states if they wish to maintain international financial stability and peace. Social unrest and political instability, conflicts, and migration on an unprecedented global scale are the likely consequences of a world where the poor and vulnerable are left unprotected and without redress for climate-induced loss and damage.

There is a distinct opportunity as well for the media to act as a conduit to provide the public with information to view the events critically, and through a human rights lens

There is a clear need and distinct opportunity created by hosting this conference on loss and damages. The media has a critical role to play in sharing relevant and accurate information with the communities of affected person, as well as members of the general public. The media serves as one of the most critical public accountability mechanisms and will be the main source of information about loss and damages. It is important for the media to be able to discuss about climate change issues, loss and damages and climate finance in this particular case, with an understanding of how people are and may be affected by the this. There is a distinct opportunity as well for the media to act as a conduit to provide the public with information to view the events critically, and through a human rights lens. This will help to build the capacity of members of the public to comment, critique and hold the conveners accountable for the conduct of a transparent and effective response. We anticipate that members of the media may cover this event in addition to participating in it, and by doing so could jump start the discussion around the issue among members of the media, as well as the general public.