Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

John Kerry says there will be 'an outcome of some kind' in talks with poorer nations about climate reparations and again called on China to chip in

John Kerry says there will be 'an outcome of some kind' in talks with poorer nations about climate reparations and again called on China to chip in

Developing countries want to make rich ones pay for outsized contributions to the climate crisis, and have added the idea to the agenda at UN talks.
Developing countries came to the UN climate summit with a mission: hold rich nations like the US and those in Europe accountable for their outsized contributions to the environmental crisis.

These developing countries scored a quick breakthrough nearly a week ago when the global talks got underway. They managed to get the issue of "loss and damage" added to the agenda for the first time in the history of the UN climate convention.

Egypt and Pakistan, where flooding killed 1,700 over the summer and inflicted an estimated $30 billion in damages, led the push to make reparations part of the discussion.

Now comes the hard part: Over the next week, a debate will play out between rich economies, like the US and those in Europe, and poorer countries over how to compensate developing nations for climate-fueled disasters for which they bear little responsibility.

John Kerry, the US special climate envoy, on Saturday told reporters that making loss and damage an official agenda item means there will be "an outcome of some kind," though he said he doesn't know how it will take shape. Kerry also alluded to comments he's made in the past about putting China on the hook for climate reparations. That country is now the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions.

"There are a whole bunch of countries that have been burning coal for 70 or 80 years that have also contributed to where we are," Kerry said. "How do you manage that?"

Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said Wednesday that the country would not pay into a loss and damage fund for developing nations but supported their cause, Voice of America reported. China is categorized as a developing nation under the terms of the UN climate convention and therefore isn't legally obliged to give climate finance.

Kerry cast doubt that an agreement on a "financial arrangement" for loss and damage would be achieved at COP27, which ends November 18. However, a deal could come together by next year's conference, he said.

Egypt is an appropriate location for the talks, which are playing out over two weeks. The entire African continent accounts for just 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions yet is among the most vulnerable to disasters like drought and heat waves. Millions of people from Kenya to Somalia are on the brink of famine, in part because of climate upheavals. The British Red Cross described the situation as the worst food crisis in parts of the continent in 40 years.

Wealthy countries like the US and those in Europe account for 80% of greenhouse gas emissions after more than a century of burning fossil fuels to industrialize their economies. They've repeatedly objected to discussing loss and damage during past UN climate negotiations over concern that such talks would result in enormous financial liabilities.

The US position shifted this year under President Joe Biden. A State Department spokesperson told Insider that the administration was open to the agenda item and would engage in talks on how to address loss and damage.

Brandon Wu, director of policy campaigns at ActionAid USA, a social-justice nonprofit, said he hopes the issue gets more than just lip service during COP27, the shorthand for the UN's "conference of the parties" climate talks.

"This is a welcome shift from their previous unwillingness to engage in formal negotiations about loss and damage finance, but it's not anything more than that — a willingness to talk," Wu told Insider. "What matters is what they're willing to agree to."

ActionAid joined nearly 150 organizations last month in urging Kerry to support the creation of a specific fund for loss and damage that is separate from financing for climate mitigation and adaptation projects in developing countries. More than a decade ago, rich nations promised to send $100 billion a year to poorer countries by 2020. Wealthy countries continue to fall short, according to a report released by Germany and Canada ahead of COP27.

Wu said a separate finance structure is needed because humanitarian assistance is reactive after disasters and doesn't always flow to the countries most in need — in some cases because they don't make headlines.

"Humanitarian aid historically hasn't built climate resilience," he added. "There were massive floods in Pakistan in 2010. Billions of assistance flowed there in 2010, and when a new round hit this year, they were in the same boat."

Scientists at World Weather Attribution found that more intense rainfall due to human-caused climate change, as well as inadequate infrastructure, high poverty rates, and economic instability, were all factors in the devastation in Pakistan.

Some developed nations have already stepped up. Scotland, which hosted last year's UN climate summit in Glasgow, became the first to pledge funding for loss and damage with a $2 million contribution. Denmark, in September, followed suit with a $13 million pledge.

Some developed nations have already unveiled contributions during COP27. Germany announced $176 million for loss and damage and Austria also pledged $50 million. Belgium is donating $2.6 million to Mozambique, which endured extreme rains last year. Scotland added another $5.7 million in donations to the $2 million it had already announced.

If countries do agree to establish a separate fund on loss and damage, Wu said it could take years to hash out how it's set up, including how to calculate who pays what and how to ensure the money is distributed equitably.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×