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Opinion
COP27: Rich nations must take responsibility and pay for the climate damage in poor states
- As rich nations resort to coal in an energy crisis while resisting calls for climate reparation, poor countries continue to suffer the worst effects of climate change
- At COP27, a climate loss-and-damage facility must finally be set up to compensate vulnerable states, which must stand together for a louder voice
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Rizwan Basir, a sociologist, is a senior technical specialist at the Climate Resourcing and Coordination Centre (CRCC) in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Dubbed a “necessary evil” move, Germany plans to reactivate its network of 21 coal-powered plants to escape Russian President Vladimir Putin’s energy chokehold. Germany needs warmth for the winter, and the energy shortfall has forced the state to produce this heat at the expense of the planet. France, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands have announced similar plans under the same rationale.
The climate will change, the vulnerable must suffer, but what else must rich states facing the energy crisis do?
One state’s emissions are another state’s disaster. None of the rich nations is among the top 10 states most vulnerable to climate change over the past decade, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. It’s safe to assume as rich states become more energy-secure, poor states will become more susceptible to climate change.
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