Island countries demand compensation from India and China

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda said during the COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, that the most polluting emerging economies, including China and India, should pay into the climate compensation fund. Helping countries rebuild after climate change disasters.

This is the first time that these two emerging economies in Asia have been included in the list of countries with the highest carbon emissions, and the island nations are also at risk for an environment already damaged by global warming. Being held responsible.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, representing the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS), said that although these are still emerging economies, they are the first and foremost in the world. Those who emit more than 500,000 greenhouse gases must pay into the fund, realizing their responsibility.

Prime Minister Brownie said, “We all know that the People’s Republic of China and India are major polluters and polluters should pay the price.”

“I don’t think there’s a ‘free pass’ for any country and I’m not saying this out of spite,” he added. However, its per capita emissions are well below the global average.

Delegates to COP27, the UN’s global conference on climate change, agreed to consider the theme of “loss and damage” for the first time in the history of UN climate talks. The term “losses and damages” refers to the costs incurred due to climate change intensification or effects such as sea level rise.

Until now, countries affected by climate change used to insist on paying compensation from the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union to compensate for the environmental damage. Although China itself has in the past supported the establishment of a “loss and damage” fund, it has not yet indicated whether it intends to contribute to it.

The European Union and the United States argue that since China emits the most greenhouse gases, it should pay anyway. The Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) says a multibillion-dollar “loss and damage” fund should be in place by 2024.

AOSIS negotiator and Deputy Minister of Environment Milagros de Camas said that the point of view of island countries is that since they face more and more severe natural disasters such as hurricanes and other storms, The importance and necessity of a special fund is very clear.

“We want to have a special fund for this purpose, a separate fund. This is the case for the existence of small island developing states,” he said.