Timeline: The struggle over ‘loss and damage’ in UN climate talks
Small-island nations have been sounding the alarm about climate change for more than three decades, fearing a future in which their communities and homes are engulfed by rising seas.
From the moment diplomats and leaders first gathered at the UN in the early 1990s to discuss the issue, these states began asking for help to deal with climate-related “loss and damage”.
Many vulnerable countries view UN climate negotiations as a way to secure much-needed funds from those they view as historically responsible for climate change. However, many developed countries have resisted being held financially accountable.
Over the years, negotiations have yielded numerous “work programmes” and “dialogues” on loss and damage, but have so far failed to generate the one thing small-island nations have wanted since the beginning – money.
In this interactive timeline, Carbon Brief has delved into the archives, talked to seasoned negotiators and interviewed activists about the struggle to elevate this issue, from a niche piece of UN jargon, into one of the defining issues in international climate politics.