A protest by Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change during the COP27 climate conference Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP
It's crunch time for negotiators at COP27 to push through a complex issue which would see vulnerable countries compensated for climate change-fuelled disasters caused by developed nations.
However, there is little time to do so with just two full days of the United Nations' summit remaining.
Known as the loss and damage finance, it's been a historic move and a hot topic since added onto the agenda in the last moment.
Yet, the finer details like timelines, facilitation, and common agreements are yet to be achieved.
Richer countries have already pushed back fearing that paying for historical emissions could put their countries on the hook for billions of dollars for decades or even centuries to come.
The Alliance of Small Island States, which the Pacific is a part of, is discussing whether it will walk away from the summit without a deal if such an agreement is not made.
A decision was expected to be reached yesterday however, the agreement to a consensus has been pushed forward a day.
Fijian climate activist Sivendra Michael told RNZ Pacific that while the inclusion of loss and damage finance is a step forward, real progress remains slow.
"Informal consultations on loss and damage have stagnated with parties often reiterating previous positions and no real progress on propositions to bring to ministers."
Michael believes an outcome on loss and damage is critical and there is a risk that an ambitious one could slip through governments' hands if positions are not made clearer and points of convergence are not found between parties.
"Over the next two days, it will be crucial to not use delaying techniques such as extensive calls for workshops, ministerial events and commissioned research that could be translated into accusations of setting up a 'talkshop' from climate vulnerable countries."
He added that what is needed is "a mosaic of solutions and a dedicated fund within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) can be mutually supportive".
"Only looking at the mosaic part implies that parties want to fix all issues regarding loss and damage - when the priority in this space is to find a solution within the UNFCCC and ensure that it is fit for purpose to deal with addressing loss and damage, stressing the sense of urgency behind it," he said.
No more kicking the can
Tagaloa Cooper, Director of Climate Change Resilience at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) said the Pacific is determined not to go away from the COP27 empty-handed.
"We are not going to wait for more studies and assessments to be made. The fact of the matter is, we (Pacific) have suffered a lot of loss and damage because of climate change. So, to wait much longer, while the world discusses how this is going to look, what the facility will look like? It's simply not something that the Pacific is keen on."
The Pacific's optimism of arriving at a conclusion remained high through the talks but pattens of delayed tactics are taking its toll.
"It's kind of like kicking the can down the road and the Pacific is ready to raise its voice and hold parties accountable to the matters of loss and damage under the UNFCCC process" Cooper said.
In terms of holding developed nations accountable, Sivendra Michael stressed implementing the commitment made at COP26 last year to double adaptation finance from 2019 levels by 2025 "is a matter of trust as well as delivering on critical needs for developing countries, particularly for African countries".
Pennelope Beckles, Minister of Planning and Development of Trinidad and Tobago addresses delegates Photo: DOMINIKA ZARZYCKA/AFP
Funding facilitation
Cooper said the Pacific has not had an easy time with accessing finance.
"The biggest problem for us with smaller administrations are the cumbersome requirements to access financing set up by the UNFCCC to assist developing countries. The finance has been slow and a lot of that has to do with bureaucracy."
She added that with the possible addition of loss and damage to the existing mitigation and adaptation funding, accessibility to finance need to be made easily accessible to so it can help the people it was set up to help.
With climate funding accessibility for developing countries remaining a challenge, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said most countries have limited capacity to access these funds.
She said the Commonwealth was also making funds available for its member countries through its hub.
"Finance is now being made accessible by the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub, which has supported capacity, constrained small and vulnerable countries of the Commonwealth to secure at least $US56 million in climate finance. We have about $850 million in the pipeline.
Scotland explained with accessibility to more financial assistance, the Pacific will see an increase in financial advisers to help with the administration of funding.
"Currently, we have advisers deployed in Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, who have mobilised around $5 million of funds for climate action in the region."
Pacific stands its ground
The Pacific has made its position clear when it comes to being strong-armed into agreement, explained Cooper.
"We've also heard that some there is a small cluster of countries that are talking about doing away with the 1.5 degree limiting global warming, is something the Pacific will not entertain," she said.
A united voice has been established at the climate talks on loss and damage among developing nations, small island states, Commonwealth countries, the Caribbean nations, and the Pacific as calls for urgent actions are amplified.
The cost of climate inaction is simply too high for developed nations to continue to plead ignorance said Patricia Scotland.
"The annual economic losses due to disasters in the Pacific Small Island Developing states amounts to about $US1.075 billion on nearly 5 percent of the combined GDP. Climate related disasters killing on average 115 people per day in the world and causing $202 million in losses every day. This is just not a sustainable situation."
Scotland called on countries to make real commitments at COP27, as the Pacific and small island states cannot bear the brunt of this existential threat any longer.
"$100 billion has been on the table as an aspirational target since 2009 and here we are 2022.
"We still haven't delivered on that annually but we know that this is just a drop in the ocean, because to deliver on the Paris agreement, we need $4 trillion each year and to date global climate finance flows, only amounts to about $630 billion annually. That's only once sixth of what is required."
The climate talks conclude on November 18.
