A week ago, the twenty-seventh UN conference on climate change (COP27) ended.
Seen from a Caribbean perspective the primary objective was to deliver with other vulnerable nations an agreement on ‘loss and damage’ through the creation of a mechanism that could provide the financing required to recover from extreme weather events. It was also about ensuring a continuing global commitment to what had been agreed at COP26 in relation to reducing carbon emissions and support for adaptation.
In the end, some progress was made. Agreement was reached at the eleventh hour to establish a loss and damage fund, although who will pay, how much, and what the criteria will be for any nation to qualify are for future discussion.