HAC Rallies for 1.5 and a Loss & Damage Fund in Final Push at COP27

19 November 2022

As we watch the devastating impacts of climate change this year, and the multiple and interrelated crises that grip our world, exacerbating the suffering of the poor, marginalised and vulnerable, we come together to say that we must emerge from COP27 with a package of outcomes that keeps 1.5°C alive and protects the world’s vulnerable.

The COP27 decision must reflect that we:

Hold fast to our commitment to 1.5°C, and recognise the IPCC’s finding that to keep 1.5°C in reach, global emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest. This COP decision must put the world on a path to phasing out all fossil fuels and an urgent, just transition to renewables. 

1. Insist that the Mitigation Work Programme focus on both ambition and implementation, be grounded in the findings of the IPCC, look across sectors, and must take decisions annually throughout this critical decade for reducing emissions that result in concrete targets and actions to reduce emissions in line with 1.5°C.

2. Call for NDCs that align with a 1.5°C pathway to be delivered and implemented urgently, particularly by the G20. And we must recognise that key sectors, like shipping and aviation, must be transformed.

3. Determine that short-term measures to address the fossil fuel energy crisis will not affect our climate ambition, the targets we have set, and the determination we hold to keep global warming to 1.5°C. 

4. Support the agreement on new funding arrangements for loss and damage, including a loss and damage response fund, at COP27, and recognise that we will need to sprint together to operationalise this response in the coming year.

5. Affirm the importance of accountability for climate finance commitments, including to collectively double funding for adaptation by 2025.

6. Support an ambitious global goal on adaptation, recognising that it will take a global movement to accelerate adaptation planning and implementation to protect us all. 

7. Affirm the importance of meeting existing obligations under international law to protect human rights and the environment from the adverse effects of climate change, and gratefully acknowledge the voices raised across the world in support of climate action.

 Quotes:

“Our job here at COP27 is to keep 1.5 alive. We have made an historic step by addressing loss and damage, but we are in this position because we have failed to reduce our emissions. So let’s  step up from our commitments at Glasgow.” Maisa Rojas, Minister of the Environment, Chile

“We have heard the call from the world outside this conference centre. Our decisions here need to reflect the bleak reality facing billions of people if we don’t act now to reduce emissions, and support the most vulnerable in becoming resilient to climate change. That must also include action on debt cancellation, debt relief and debt-for climate swaps.” Minister Susana Muhamad, Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia

“The science is clear: only by phasing out all fossil fuels and peaking global emissions rapidly, we have the chance to avoid runaway climate change.” Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Finland

"We are very encouraged by the positive discussions on loss and damage to respond to the needs of the particularly vulnerable countries. We now need to reach an ambitious outcome on mitigation, reflecting the necessity to peak emissions before 2025 at the latest and phase out all fossil fuels." Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition, France

“Every tenth of a degree of increased temperature spells climate disaster and suffering for more and more millions of Africans. Collectively we must come together to keep 1.5 alive and to support the developing nations  suffering the consequences of a problem we did not cause.” Lee White, Minister of Forests, Oceans, Environment and Climate Change, Gabonese Republic

“Keeping 1.5°C alive is the only chance we have of a safe future for our planet. Having listened to the call from my developing country partners,  now is the time for a dedicated fund for loss and damage to protect the most vulnerable. As the impacts of the climate crisis increase with every passing month, we have no time to wait. If we can keep 1.5 alive and start to address the gap in loss and damage funding arrangements, we can leave Sharm el Sheikh having achieved something important.” Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport, Ireland

“We have bridged a divide at this COP that’s lasted thirty years.  We now need the willingness of all parties in these final hours to see us over the line with a deal that responds to loss and damage and keeps 1.5 alive.”  Senator the Honourable Matthew Samuda, Minister without responsibility in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Jamaica

“Luxembourg stands behind the HAC statement. Strong mitigation efforts and action on loss and damage for the most vulnerable countries are two sides of the same coin.”  Joëlle Welfring, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development, Luxembourg

“It is absolutely vital that we take concrete action to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5°C, beyond what was agreed in Glasgow. We as high ambition countries stand ready to display solidarity and help countries most vulnerable to climate change, including with a Loss & Damage response fund.” Rob Jetten, Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, the Netherlands

“If we fail to reduce emissions, the cost of adaptation rises; if we fail to adapt, loss and damage occurs. We need a COP outcome that reflects that reality.”  James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change and Associate Minister for the Environment (Biodiversity), New Zealand

“We came to COP27 to negotiate climate action. To strengthen the outcome from COP26 in Glasgow. If we exceed 1.5 degrees, we will experience a world much more dangerous for everyone - especially so for the most vulnerable countries and people. With the tragic backdrop of extreme weather events throughout the last year, we must mitigate. We must phase out unabated fossil fuels. At the same time as we adapt and respond to loss and damage. We need a positive outcome from this COP. Norway will do all we can to contribute to this.” Espen Barth Eide, Minister for Climate and Environment, Norway

“We cannot backslide on the Glasgow Climate Pact. If this is to truly be an implementation COP we must start the work on phasing out fossil fuels, and implementing bold transformation toward net zero.” Alok Sharma, COP26 President, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

“This Conference cannot accept putting the 1.5°C goal at risk. We need political will to secure 1.5°C through more climate action. That is what we expect from this Conference.” Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition of Spain

“As AOSIS, we stand for some of the world’s most vulnerable citizens – women, men, and children who bear the burden of an unequal distribution of losses and damages wrought by a man-made climate crisis we did not cause. We have come to COP27 to ensure the voices of the vulnerable are not only heard, but uplifted. It is imperative that the international community lives up to the purpose of this Conference – to leave no one behind, to provide support to those who need it most. Within the United Nations, even the smallest island must be treated as an equal partner to a global superpower. Our voices matter. Our homes matter. Islands matter. We will continue to fight for ambitious commitments that empower our small island developing States not just to survive, but to thrive.” Conrod Hunte, Deputy Permanent Representative at the A&B Mission and the Lead Climate Change Negotiator for AOSIS, Antigua and Barbuda

“We are cautiously optimistic, and we want to congratulate the AOSIS technical team for its extremely hard work. We’ve seen significant movement and compromise, which bodes well for going forward.” Elizabeth Thompson, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Climate Change, Law of the Sea, and SIDS, Barbados

“We cannot waver from protecting those that stand to lose the most from this crisis and must not falter in our drive to limit global average temperature rise to below 1.5°C. A decision to create a fund for loss and damage is a decision for stability and an investment in hope.” Ambassador Satyendra Prasad, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fiji

“Islands have been the first and strongest champions of a 1.5°C temperature limit. This year is no exception.We’re proud to stand with fellow members of the HAC to call for a cover decision that reflects the urgency of reducing emissions, the importance of adaptation, and - at long last - a dedicated fund for loss and damage.” Tina Stege, Climate Envoy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (Convener of the HAC)

“We welcome the outcome on loss and damage finance, which involved all Parties working together for our common good. But loss and damage is caused because of our failure to mitigate. We need to strengthen the Mitigation Work Programme to keep 1.5 alive. This is crucial for Palau, just as it is for all Small Island States”. Ilana Seid, Ambassador to the United Nations, Palau

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Contact: hac@highambitioncoalition.org