Essay by Eric Worrall

Once again the promised climate cash has not been delivered.

Climate change: Bonn talks end in acrimony over compensation

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, Bonn

Two weeks of climate talks in Germany have ended in acrimony between rich and poor countries over cash for climate damage. 

Developing countries say they are reeling from climate change caused by richer countries’ emissions over hundreds of years.

They hoped to get compensation onto the official agenda for discussions by world leaders in November.

But here in Bonn they couldn’t get the US and the European Union to agree.

“The climate emergency is fast becoming a catastrophe,” said Conrod Hunte, lead negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

“Yet within these walls the process feels out of step with reality, the pace feels too slow,” he told delegates at the end of the meeting.

Developing nations say they need money to deal with the impacts of climate change, because they suffer the effects more than richer nations and have less financial capacity to cope.

…

The US and Europe don’t agree. They fear that if they pay for historic emissions it could put their countries on the hook for billions of dollars for decades or even centuries to come. 

The issue is termed “loss and damage” and has become a running sore in these negotiations. 

…

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61819852

I’m sure things will be different next time. /sarc