This position paper outlines key asks and civil society goals on loss & damage in the UNFCCC process, which have been gathered from representatives of developing countries and civil society through stakeholder consultations as well as desk research.

Climate-induced disasters are projected to cause hundreds of billions of annual losses and damages in developing countries by 2030. Climate change affects livelihoods, lives, societies, and natural ecosystems in ways that exceed the limits of adaptation and overwhelm the coping capacities of vulnerable communities, groups, and countries.

Treating loss & damage as the third pillar of the Paris Agreement besides mitigation and adaptation is a key challenge for COP26 and beyond. Both developing countries and civil society organizations should push for enhanced recognition of loss & damage in the UNFCCC negotiations and commitments from wealthy developed countries to provide tangible support in the form of technical assistance, knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and new and additional funding.

It is of vital importance to highlight the need for developed countries to provide tangible support for those most affected by climate-related loss & damage, in particular in vulnerable developing countries. Civil society organizations can play a key role in creating momentum to bring these aspects to the forefront of climate finance discussions and mobilize support for developing countries.

This position paper is part of an ongoing research on climate change adaptation and loss & damage needs and actions for enhanced engagement of civil society in climate action and resilience-building conducted jointly by Southern Voices on Adaptation and SLYCAN Trust with support from CARE Denmark.

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