In 2022, a powerful global campaign focused on “loss and damage” – financing toward climate impacts that can no longer be adapted to – trained its eyes on COP27 after years of organizing, strategizing and planning. For decades, the global climate justice movement has been building momentum around loss and damage under the UNFCCC, acknowledging and addressing how rich nations must pay nations on the frontlines of climate-related impacts.

Congressional hearing on U.S. support for loss and damage at COP27

Heeding Global South calls for increased pressure from civil society groups based in the Global North – given the U.S. has played an instrumental role in blocking progress and action on this agenda item for years – WEDO’s global justice U.S. advocacy work prioritized this campaign ahead of COP27. Knowing that the U.S. would enter the COP27 negotiations continuing to impede progress, it was crucial that U.S. civil society increase pressure at home and in Sharm el-Sheikh – making it clear that loss and damage financing was of the utmost priority.

In the summer of 2022, the pressure began to build. WEDO, alongside allied organizations, organized and hosted a Congressional Briefing featuring frontline voices from the US and the Global South on the importance of the U.S. supporting a loss & damage finance facility.

In the lead up to COP27, we co-led a civil society sign-on letter supported by 150+ organizations; held bilateral advocacy meetings with policymakers; and supported the release of a Congressional Letter to the Biden Administration led by Congresswoman Omar and Congressman Bowman.

During COP27, we paired this advocacy with organizing direct actions alongside allies pushing for action on loss and damage.

WGC-led action on loss and damage at COP27

The collective might built by U.S. and global civil society and climate justice movements was clear. Moving forward with a loss & damage finance facility was a matter of global justice and solidarity.

Facing this power and pressure from U.S.-based and global civil society, in the final moments of the negotiations, the US delegation finally ended their obstruction of a loss and damage finance facility. While this is a shift in their position that must be attributed to years of organizing from frontline activists, and is worth celebrating, we know this is not the end of the fight for just and equitable financing. In 2023 and beyond, we must now work to ensure the loss and damage finance facility becomes actualized, resourced, transparent, and accountable.

“Robust public, grants-based financing for loss and damage is a matter of justice and repair. The outsized role the US has played in perpetuating the climate crisis demands that we support and resource those already experiencing devastating climate impacts. We reject attempts to use loss and damage conversations to entrench the wealth and exploitation of colonial financial institutions, private financial actors, and rich nations, and urge the U.S. at COP27 to support public, grants-based finance that centers resource redistribution to frontline communities & countries.” – Mara Dolan, in a press release on the congressional letter.