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COP28: Poor countries win 30-year fight for climate cash as Loss and Damage Fund becomes a reality
In a surprise that has lit up COP28, delegates have agreed to launch a long-awaited fund to pay for damage from climate-driven storms and drought.
Such deals are normally sealed last minute after days of negotiations.
COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber shook up the meeting by bringing the decision to the floor on day one.
The EU, UK, US and others immediately announced contributions totalling around $400m for poor countries reeling from the impacts of climate change.
Three decades after the idea was first mooted, the ‘loss and damage’ cash agreement was greeted with sustained applause on the conference floor.
It was seen as a smart move by the UAE, which has been criticised in the run up to the COP, after the BBC reported on Monday that leaked briefing documents revealed plans by the United Arab Emirates to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations.
“It’s a very clever way to open the conference on the part of the UAE,” said Prof Michael Jacobs from the University of Sheffield and an observer at these talks. “They have gotten in the very first session, one of the most important parts of this whole conference agreed, a very contentious part, the United States was not happy just a few weeks ago with the text on this loss and damage fund, and it’s agreed to it today.”
Loss and damage refers to the impacts that many countries suffer from climate-related weather events.
While funding has been provided to help countries adapt to rising temperatures, and to aid their efforts to rein in their emissions, no money has been forthcoming to help with the destruction caused by storms and droughts. The idea of finding cash for these losses was first introduced in the 1990s.
For decades, richer countries fought tooth and nail against the idea of such a fund, wary of having to pay “compensation” for historic carbon emissions.
Last year at COP27 in Egypt, the moral force of the argument won the day and countries agreed to set up a fund. Over the past 12 months countries had argued about the rules, where the fund should be located and who should pay in. A tentative agreement was reached a few weeks before this gathering in Dubai.
Any such deal would normally have to be accepted by all countries in a plenary session, where negotiators can go through the text with a fine-tooth comb, often leading to major arguments. This usually happens at the end of a COP after days and nights of wrangling.
“We have delivered history today,” Jaber told delegates as the motion was passed without a fight. Immediately the UAE made a pledge of $100m as did Germany. The US says it will pay in $17m, providing it can find agreement with Congress. They wanted all countries to know that paying in didn’t mean they accepted that the fund was about reparations for historic emissions.
“We have been working very, very closely with other transitional committee members this entire year in order to design an effective fund that is based on cooperation and does not involve liability or compensation,” said US Special Climate Envoy, John Kerry.
The UK promised £60m to the fund. Campaigners said it was a small step in the right direction. “It is encouraging to see that the UK Government is committed to making the Loss and Damage Fund a reality, but this pledge is simply not enough and crucially, it’s not new money,” said Chiara Liguori, Oxfam’s Senior Climate Justice Policy Advisor.
It’s hoped the deal will provide the momentum for an ambitious wider agreement on action during the summit.
The stakes for that couldn’t be higher: the day began with stark warnings from the UN chief that “we are living through climate collapse in real time”. António Guterres said the news that it’s “virtually certain” 2023 will be the hottest year on record should “send shivers down the spines of world leaders”.
(BBC)
Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and asked South Africa to bat in their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad.
South Africa have opted for a pace-heavy attack. Keshav Maharaj slots in as their only spinner, alongside the speedy quartet of Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi. Tristan Stubbs also begins the tournament at the No. 6 spot – a position Jason Smith had occupied in their last T20I, while Stubbs had slid down to No. 7. Smith is in the World Cup squad but did not find a spot in South Africa’s starting eleven.
South Africa’s pace is expected to get the most out of a characteristically flat Ahmedabad black-soil pitch. But first, their batters will have a hit in a game they begin as overwhelming favourites against Canada, who are their second World Cup.
Canada’s new captain, Bajwa, will lead the side at a global tournament for the first time. He also slots in at the top of the order, alongside Yuvraj Samra, and their batting power will be key to their hopes of causing a massive upset.
Canada have lost both their warm-up games – to Italy and Nepal – but should their batters come off on a friendly pitch, South Africa will look to have the added insurance of a few more runs in the bank before dew takes over when Canada begin their chase at night.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram (capt), Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
Canada: Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), Yuvraj Samra, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva, Harsh Thaker, Saad Bin Zafar, Jaskaran Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Kaleem Sana, Ansh Patel
(Cricinfo)
A Hong Kong court jailed pro democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai for 20 years on Monday after he was found guilty of national security offences last December
This is the harshest sentence under the controversial national security law, which China says is necessary for the city’s stability
Lai, who is a British citizen, was one of the loudest critics of Beijing, often wielding his pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, as a tool of protest
Six former executives of the paper were also jailed on Monday – from six years and nine months to 10 years
Hailed a hero by the pro-democracy movement, Lai is seen as a traitor by Beijing. He has always denied the charges against him
The UK calls for the Chinese government to release Lai, saying it will “rapidly engage further” with Beijing. But Hong Kong’s chief executive welcomes the sentence, saying Lai used “used Apple Daily to poison the minds of citizens”.
Lai’s son, Sebastien, tells the BBC his father’s punishment is “basically a death sentence”.
(BBC)
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza decided to field first against Oman in the men’s T20 World Cup match at the SSC in Colombo. Both teams were pleased to arrive in Sri Lanka early to get themselves attuned to the conditions.
Zimbabwe have Blessing Muzarabani back in the squad after he missed the tri-series in Pakistan in November.
Oman, meanwhile, include 44-year-old Aaamir Kaleem the oldest player in the tournament – after he came into the side in place of Hasnain Shah, who was injured after the squad was named.
Zimbabwe return to the tournament after missing out on the previous edition in West Indies and the United States of America. They had made it to the Super 12s of the 2022 T20 World Cup but failed to progress through the qualifiers for the 2024 tournament. They completed qualification alongside Namibia; Brian Bennett was the tournament’s top run-scorer, while Brad Evans and Richard Ngarava were among the leading wicket-takers.
Zimbabwe are bolstered by the return of Graeme Cremer, whose November 2025 comeback marked the longest gap between T20I appearances.
Oman are one of three qualifiers from the Asia-Pacific region, alongside Nepal and the UAE. They have previously appeared in the 2016, 2021, and 2024 editions of the T20 World Cup.
Oman: Jatinder Singh (capt), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Wasim Ali, Karan Sonavale, Jiten Ramanandi, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Sufyan Mehmood, Nadeem Khan, Shah Faisal, Shakeel Ahmad
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Dion Myers, Brendan Taylor (wk), Sikandar Raza (capt), Ryan Burl, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
Canada bowl against pace-heavy South Africa
Hong Kong court jails media tycoon and British citizen Jimmy Lai for 20 years
Muzarabani returns as Zimbabwe opt to bowl against Oman
Munsey and Leask spoil Italy’s T20 World Cup debut2
Italy captain Wayne Madsen injures shoulder in T20 World Cup opener
Canada look for early splash against favourites South Africa
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