‘Developed countries can’t fight climate change without taking vulnerable nations on board’

Developed countries will not be protected from the effects of climate change unless they take vulnerable countries on board, experts said yesterday ahead of the G7 summit.

During a press briefing titled "Rich countries and their climate promises", speakers likened the situation to the Covid-19 pandemic and how developed countries could not win the fight against the pandemic by vaccinating their own people while ignoring people of poorer countries.

Saleemul Huq, executive director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Rachel Kyte from the Fetcher School, USA spoke in the online session while Maark HertsGaard of CCNow (Climate Change Now) moderated the session.

The G7 meeting will play an important role in creating the $100 billion climate fund as they promised during the Paris agreement held in 2015, they said.

It is now time to keep their promises.

They said the media's response to Covid-19 was a useful model in that, guided by science, journalists described the pandemic as an emergency, chronicled its devastating impact, called out disinformation, and informed audiences and readerships about how to protect themselves.

The same media commitment is needed to battle the climate change, they said.

Saleemul Huq said journalists and editors from the global north should understand the importance of the G7 summit and focus on climate.

This is an emergency situation and they should take the issue seriously.

He said the developed countries are good at promises, but not at delivering. The most vulnerable countries have to have their say in decision making.  

He also demanded that the allocation of the global climate fund be split equally for mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Currently around 80 percent of the climate fund goes to mitigation and 20 percent for adaptation.

"Also, adaptation fund should come as grant, not as loan as adaptation is not a business and it does not pay back. But investing in mitigation can make profit and can be paid back," he said.

Rachel Kyte said, "Climate change is already here."

A few days ago, the schools of Montana had to close due to a heatwave, she said.  

The developed countries committed a $100 billion fund during the Paris agreement in 2015.

"But this $100 billion fund was not determined following any scientific analysts. It was just a political commitment of global leaders."

She said all G7 leaders would have to get on the same page to fulfil the commitment of $100 billion fund to battle the climate change and everybody is waiting that the US will contribute to the Green Climate Fund.

Mark Hertsgaar, the executive director of Covering Climate Now (CCNow) said the world needs unity not only in dealing with the pandemic but also tackling climate change.