A few wealthy polluters have been battling to cough up the cash for climate damage due to the shale EL-SHEIKH, Egypt: Vulnerable nations least responsible for the planet-heating emissions have been battling for three decades for the cash for climate damages.
Their final push took only two weeks.
When UN talks began in Egypt, the loss and damage caused by climate-induced disasters was not officially up for discussion.
A concerted effort by developing countries to make it the defining issue of the conference melted the resistance of wealthy polluters long fearful of open-ended liability and gained unstoppable momentum as the talks progressed.
A decision to create a loss and damage fund was made on Sunday morning after fraught negotiations went on overnight with nations clashing over a range of issues around curbing planet-heating emissions.
At the beginning of the talks, loss and damage was not even on the agenda, but now we are making history, said Mohamed Adow, executive director of Power Shift Africa.
It shows that the UN process can achieve results, and that the world can recognize the plight of the vulnerable and should not be treated as political football.