Tackling the unavoidable effects of climate change

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will call on international leaders to take action to address climate change this week.

At the Bonn Intersessional on Tuesday (7 May), a major milestone in the international climate calendar, the First Minister will stress the climate emergency is the single most significant and urgent challenge the world faces.

Despite international efforts to tackle global warming some climate impacts are now unavoidable and will continue to lead to loss of life and huge financial damage in some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

Scotland is amongst the first developed nations to pledge finance to address Loss and Damage, with the First Minister committing £2 million to the cause during COP26.

The First Minister will detail the range of actions Scotland is taking to address loss and damage including:

• sharing best practice in tackling loss and damage and coordinating global action at a Scottish Government hosted international conference this autumn
• funding the Stockholm Environment Institute to deliver new research and evidence papers on operationalising loss and damage finance
• providing grant funding through the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) to address the devastating loss and damage experienced in Malawi as a result of Tropical Storm Ana
• delivering grant funding to the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh to develop case studies on loss and damage and advice which will shape the Scottish Government’s approach to tackling the issue.

The Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund is already using that money to deliver on the ground in partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to help communities recover from climate-related events such as flooding, wild fires and tropical storms.

In a video address to the conference, the First Minister is expected to say:

“The programmes we are supporting represent an important first step – in showing how finance for loss and damage can deliver practical benefits.

“That is important – particularly as we look ahead to COP27 in Egypt.

“At that summit, we still need to see developed countries stepping up  – and showing a much greater commitment to address loss and damage.

“However, action from devolved, state and regional governments – as well as civil society – will also be vital, in driving progress.

“We saw that at COP26 - where Scotland’s commitment on loss and damage was supplemented by a commitments from Wallonia, and a number of philanthropies. 

“And we see it now – as we start to turn those commitments into practical action.

“This event is a very welcome opportunity to consider what more non-state actors and non-party governments can do ahead of COP27 - to show leadership, build momentum and develop the evidence base for further action.”