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COP27: Pakistan 'Victim' of Climate Change, Calls for Reparations

Published NOV 8 2022

Story

Image credit: Dawn

The Facts

At the COP27 summit, Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif stated on Tuesday that the devastating floods that have hit his country were a "manmade disaster," underscoring that Pakistan is a victim of climate change despite its low carbon footprint.
Sky News
He also urged high-income countries to compensate poorer, vulnerable nations affected by climate change, adding that damages and losses caused by floods in Pakistan now stand at over $30B.
BBC News
This comes a day after UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to international financial institutions and the G20 countries to help provide debt relief for middle-income countries affected by natural disasters.
DAWN
Though developing countries and small island states have called for loss and damage reparations since 1991, this is the first time UN climate negotiations have included such a request in a summit's agenda.
Independent
According to COP27 Pres. Sameh Shoukry, such an inclusion "reflects a sense of solidarity for the victims of climate disasters." A conclusive decision is expected "no later than 2024."
Reuters
Pakistan's Natural Disaster Management Authority reports that at least 1.7k people were killed and 2M homes demolished this summer amid historical flooding reportedly intensified by human-caused climate change. Scientists also blame rising temperatures for natural disasters in Brazil, China, and Egypt this year.
wapo

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The Spin

Narrative A

Though the poorest countries are responsible for only 1.1% of global CO2 emissions, they're the ones most affected by climate change, which has hit them with great destruction due to their inability to adapt quickly enough to respond to disasters. High-income nations have a moral imperative to fund climate disaster support and help stabilize the most vulnerable economies.

Nature

Narrative B

There's no question that rich countries must take action to find solutions to the climate change problem that they've largely caused, but creating a specific fund for loss and damage reparations might prove troublesome. This new structure would make them liable to pay for any damage provoked by natural disasters in developing countries, climate change-related or not.