“A grim reminder that the climate crisis hits lower-income countries hardest” – Bond and CAN-UK respond to IPCC report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has today published its next major Climate Report – the second part of its Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. It looks at how lower-income countries are impacted unfairly by the climate crisis as they have contributed the least to the “unprecedented” and “irreversible” changes while facing the greatest damage.

 Responding to the report Stephanie Draper, CEO at Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said:

“This is a grim reminder that the climate crisis hits lower-income countries hardest and aggravates poverty and disease for the people who are most at risk and least able to adapt. The UK needs to urgently respond to the science and support people who have been made vulnerable by the polluting activities of wealthier nations so that they are not further left behind.
“We need to work with other high-income countries to make sure commitments to adaptation finance are delivered, and to urgently establish much-needed finance for loss and damage from the devastating impacts of climate change.”

 Catherine Pettengell, Climate Action Network UK’s (CAN-UK) director, said:
“Today’s IPCC report – collectively approved by governments – makes clear that we must go further and faster to adapt to the impacts of climate change and address the loss and damage it is causing. Those least responsible for climate change are bearing its highest costs – an injustice that must not stand. The report highlights that promises to date have not delivered the transformative action at scale needed to respond to the climate emergency where it is causing the greatest harm. The UK’s aid cuts – including closing adaptation programmes – and the failure of COP26 to establish funding for loss and damage, leaves people vulnerable. As COP26 President, the UK has an important role this year in both leading by example and calling on all nations to scale up transformational adaptation action and urgently establish much needed loss and damage finance. “