YouthNet believes that the loss and damage fund is crucial in achieving climate justice and addressing the impacts of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities

YouthNet for Climate Justice, a youth-led organization, has called for urgent action on the establishment and operationalization of the loss and damage fund at COP28. 

YouthNet believes that the loss and damage fund is crucial in achieving climate justice and addressing the impacts of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities and countries, said a press release.

The organization calls for urgent and concrete action from the Transitional Committee, countries, and corporations to establish and fund the loss and damage fund at COP28, with a people-centered and human rights-based approach. 

The inaugural meeting of the Transitional Committee (TC) for the loss and damage fund kicked off on Monday, in the picturesque city of Luxor. 

The three-day event, which will run until Wednesday, aims to bring together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for mitigating and addressing loss and damage caused by climate change. 

This marks a significant step in global efforts to combat the impacts of climate change, and experts are hopeful that the discussions will result in tangible outcomes that will benefit vulnerable communities around the world, reads the press release.

YouthNet is urging the committee to prioritize the voices and requirements of the communities and nations that are suffering the most from the impact of the climate crisis in their deliberations and decisions. 

Furthermore, YouthNet is advocating for swift action from the countries and corporations that bear the greatest responsibility for causing the climate crisis to provide necessary funding for the loss and damage fund as soon as it is established during COP28, adds the press release.

Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet for Climate Justice, emphasizes the significance of the loss and damage fund in addressing the impacts of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities and countries. 

"We urge the committee to ensure that the fund is people-centered and human rights-based, with meaningful participation from civil society and frontline communities at every stage of the negotiations and implementation process. It is time for them to pay up for loss and damage," said Rahman.

Shakila Islam, national coordinator of YouthNet, emphasized the need to empower communities to address their own losses and drive solutions. 

"The Transitional Committee must enable grassroots organizations easy access to the loss and damage fund. It must not require long complex applications. The loss and damage fund must release funds within 24-48 hours of a climate disaster. Grassroots organizations and impacted communities must be able to receive funds directly from the loss and damage fund," said Shakila.

Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development is also echoing the call of YouthNet,

“The Transitional Committee must be the first Committee in the UNFCCC to operate in 'reality time' not 'UNFCCC time' which means the loss and damage fund should become operational by COP28 not COP33,” Huq said.

Vanessa Nakate, from the Rise Up Movement, added her voice to the call, saying: "The loss and damage fund is still empty. We need to see it start to be filled in 2023."

In addition to the above, YouthNet is also advocating for the loss and damage fund to support work to address economic and non-economic loss and damage. For example, it must support work to rebuild infrastructure like hospitals damaged by the climate crisis at the same time as funding programs that provide mental health care to enable impacted persons to heal following a climate disaster.

Lastly, YouthNet calls for all money released by the loss and damage fund to come in the form of grants and not loans. The fund must not increase indebtedness.

In November of last year, all countries in attendance at COP27 in Egypt reached a unanimous decision to establish a funding mechanism aimed at addressing the loss and damages caused by human-induced climate change. 

The implementation process involves the creation of a Transitional Committee (TC) comprised of 24 members representing various geographical and other constituencies. The TC has started today (March 27) in Egypt, and subsequently, twice more before COP28 in Dubai in December.

The TC is tasked with developing strategies for setting up and managing the fund, with the goal of presenting its findings at COP28 for approval by all countries.