19 July 2012: Germanwatch has launched a website addressing key issues on loss and damage, as part of the “Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative,” a project run by a consortium and supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). The initiative aims at supporting least developed countries (LDCs) in raising their voice to call for action on addressing loss and damage caused by climate change.

The consortium, integrated by Germanwatch, the UN University-Institute for Environmental and Human Security (UNU-EHS), the International Centre for Climate Change and Development in Bangladesh (ICCCAD) and Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII), is implementing the “Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative” from February 2012 through March 2013. Activities on loss and damage will be undertaken under the following four key areas: LDC strategic support, policy setting and capacity building; conceptual framing, idea and understanding; research and case studies on loss and damage in LDCs; and addressing loss and damage in a national context.

The new website features country studies and analysis of international negotiations, including: an analysis of the 36th session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 36) on loss and damage; a summary of the first regional expert meeting held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13-15 June 2012, in the context of the UNFCCC work programme; and an analysis of the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its relevance for the loss and damage debate.

Loss and damage associated with climate impacts will likely be one of the key issues on the agenda of the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the UNFCCC scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, at the end of 2012. Its relevance is growing for LDCs as agreement to deliver mitigation commitments in line with staying below 2°C/1.5°C has not been yet achieved. To address the issue, the 16th session of the COP to the UNFCCC held in Cancun, Mexico, in 2010, adopted a work programme on loss and damage under SBI. The goal of this work programme includes assessing countries’ exposure to loss and damage and exploring appropriate activities to address it. COP 17, held in Durban, South Africa, in 2011, further established concrete activities to be performed with a view to provide recommendations to COP 18, where a decision on the issue is expected to be taken. [Germanwatch Website on Loss and Damage]