Loss and Damage Collaboration - L&DC

🌍 Small Grants for Big Impact! 🌱

Local communities are our first responders and beacons of hope. They provide critical and effective climate solutions that respond to local needs. To truly deliver , the Fund must be bold, inclusive, and supportive of those on the frontlines. Simplified and adequately resourced is essential. To truly deliver on its promise to reach the most affected, the fund must establish a dedicated community access window that provides small grants to frontline communities, Indigenous Peoples, and people experiencing marginalization and is:

1️⃣ Substantially resourced
2️⃣ Easily accessible & transparent

Join us in demanding bold access at the Fund to deliver climate justice. Read our full letter with 350+ signatories: http://bit.ly/4cvyFPn

🌊🐠Did you know that our beautiful, vibrant underwater ecosystems are facing a silent crisis?

is heartbreaking that’s been occurring with increasing frequency and severity with the escalating .

When water temperatures rise 🌡️, corals expel the algae living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. This is known as coral bleaching.

🪸Coral reefs are experiencing massive bleaching events around the world right now in 2024.

The cause? Rising sea temperatures due to global warming 🌍🔥. Certain types of coral can’t survive in temperatures above 1.5°C, and we risk losing all coral reefs if warming passes 1.5°C...

The loss of these stunning coral reefs isn’t just a blow to . It also means the loss of natural barriers that protect our coastlines from storm surges and erosion, not to mention the impact on the millions of species 🐡🐙🦑🪼 that call these reefs home and the impact to to the livelihoods of the people who depend on the reefs for fish stock and tourism…

This , let’s raise awareness and take action to phase out fossil fuels to limit global heating to 1.5°C to reduce future loss and damage and save our beautiful reefs. 🌍💙

This —which aims to raise awareness of the impact of on families— we are shedding light on how  caused by the is impacting  communities and groups in by drawing attention to ’s shocking working paper: “Women Paying the Cost of the Climate Crisis with their Wombs”:

In 🇮🇳 India’s Maharashtra state, the is forcing rural to make life-altering decisions and to undertake migrations to work in sugarcane fields, where exploitative practices by contractors, including fines for work absences, are prevalent. The fear of losing income drives many women to have hysterectomies 🤯 (to remove their wombs) to avoid having to take breaks due to menstrual pain.

The paper uses two frameworks to analyse and quantify the economic and non-economic faced by these communities, offering insights into the multifaceted nature of climate impacts.

As the intensifies, it is imperative for policymakers to address the escalating it inflicts on communities and groups —such as Women— in . 

Now! ⚖️

Image credit: Ahmed Mahin Fayaz, via flickr (CC BY 4.0 DEED)

At  , the pledges to the   Fund 💰 totalled only $661m, less than 0.2% of the $400 billion needed each year to address  .

To meet the scale of what is needed by countries and communities on the front lines of the  , the developed countries most responsible for the   must start pledging billions, and not just millions, to really  !

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❤️ Happy , Community!

A lot is happening at the moment, whether in Colombia 🇨🇴 last week for or in Abu Dhabi in the UAE 🇦🇪 this week for the first meeting of the Board of the Fund💰.

🎉 We celebrate your hard work and dedication, traversing the globe 🌏 for ⚖️.

While we fight for communities hit hardest by , it’s easy to forget that we’re not machines 🤖. Self care is important. Overworking can lead to , which affects not only our work performance but also our overall .

This , let’s pledge to prioritise our as much as our work.

After effort 😓 should come comfort 🛋️. Every moment of downtime is a golden opportunity to recharge. So, when you find that moment, embrace it, enjoy it, and remember - it’s not just a break, it’s a vital part of your journey towards . 💚🌍

Stay healthy, stay happy, and keep shining!

In early 2024, the started a project to cultivate within our communities of practice.

We encourage you to contribute or reach out here:

lossanddamagecollaboration.org/wellbeing (link in bio)

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In a candid piece published today by the L&DC on the dangers of our mindless passion for work, Peck Gee Chua writes about her shocking hospitalisation and diagnosis a few weeks after her return from COP28 — a stark reminder of how a relentless work culture is pushing us to the brink.

Is slowing down and taking care of ourselves a luxury when caused by the and other seem so urgent? As we fight for the most affected by on the frontlines of the , we also need to reclaim for ourselves, because if we do not make time for , we will be forced to make time for our illnesses, says Peck Gee.

Peck Gee teaches us how work and slowing down for tea can be complementary. Through tea appreciation, a way of life developed in Japan for spiritual healing, she has learnt to take mindful pauses.

🔗Read it here: https://lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/consumed-dangers-of-our-mindless-passion-for-work

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Watch Dairik Amae, who practises the . His wisdom teaches us to slow down, to savour each moment, and to reconnect with . Perhaps, in this delicate balance, lies our path to the world we want, where has prevailed…?

🗣️ Greenwashing… blah blah blah…🗣️ Token green gestures… blah blah blah…🗣️ Empty promises… blah blah blah… 🗣️ Climate finance payments overdue…blah blah blah…

Let’s cut through the hypocrisy 🤑 🤢.

risks becoming nothing more than a day of virtue signalling! A marketing opportunity for climate-wrecking individuals, governments and global corporations to showcase their “green” credentials without making any of the radical changes needed to address the root causes of the , limit 🌡️ to 1.5°C, or provide the finance💰needed by communities hit hardest by the so that they can adapt to a warmer world and address !

💔 The is already disproportionately affecting communities in the . 🌊 is impacting lives, livelihoods and cultures on a daily basis!

To truly address the and the that it is causing, every day must be .

🌍🌿 Let’s treat every day like it’s , not just April the 22nd! 🌍🌿

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As part of the historic agreement reached at to operationalise the Fund 💰, which was established to help countries and communities on the front lines of the 🌊 🌡️ deal with , the was invited to become the interim host 🏦 of the Fund.

Ahead of the first meeting of the Board of the Fund, which will take place from the 30th of April to the 2nd of May 2024, in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪, we highlight 7 reasons why the and the Fund are uncomfortably paired 🧐.

Swipe to read them ➡️

For more information on the changes that the must make to become the host of the Fund, read the brief “Reminder to the Board: The and Fund are uncomfortably Paired” by Rajib Ghosal and via our linktree.

❤️‍🩹 Recognising the mental and physical burden faced by all who are impacted by — or working on — , we are pleased to announce, this , the launch of a new project focusing on , recalling that the is a ! ✊

🌈As change makers focused on , our collective goal is to mobilise finance at the scale of the needs for countries and communities on the frontlines of the to address . 🏗️❤️‍🩹🌴👩‍🎓

With our ultimate mission being to co-create a world in which every human 🗣️, species 🦒, and ecosystem 🌲 on Earth is thriving — and not just surviving — amidst global challenges, including the 🌡️.

In pursuit of this mission, actors often shoulder overwhelming workloads which impact their mental, physical, and emotional . Over the past few years, community members — including team members — have experienced exhaustion prompting some to step back.

Despite the critical importance of , and remain on the periphery in our communities of practice.

In early 2024, we committed to fostering essential conversations and sharing resources with the goal of cultivating in our community.

📢The Project serves as a platform for sharing reflections on 📜🗣️, including a yearlong series of blogs on the foundations of from our Global Lead, . We invite your input and reflections — this page is for you!😍

📩 For more information or to get involved with the project, visit:

lossanddamagecollaboration.org/wellbeing [link in bio]

Yeb Saño () started as a student environmental activist and spent 13 years with the 🐼 World Wildlife Fund, shaping climate policies 📑 before he became a 🌎 global climate justice icon.

In November 2013, during the 19th climate negotiations ( ) in Warsaw, Poland, Yeb, whilst representing the Philippines as a climate negotiator, delivered a powerful speech 💬 on and his emotional reaction to the devastation caused by 🌪️ in the Philippines captured the world’s attention.

Following the speech 💬, Yeb fasted for two weeks, drawing attention to the urgent need to address and the devastating impacts that climate intensified extreme weather events have on communities in the Global South.

Yeb’s heartfelt plea resonated with thousands of delegates and influenced the decision to establish the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (WIM). Despite challenges and compromises, the establishment of the WIM marked a milestone in the history of climate negotiations.

Not long after , Yeb stopped working as a climate negotiator to focus on advocacy work. With other pilgrims, he walked 1500 km 🚶🏽 from Rome to Paris, hoping for a miracle at in 2015.

Yeb became Executive Director at Southeast Asia in 2016 and in 2022, three weeks after saw the establishment of the , he participated in a dramatic 13-day occupation of a oil platform destined for the North Sea alongside fellow activists from . As a result, in November 2023, he was named in a lawsuit against for trying to board the rig, but his determination to fight for our planet remains stronger 💪🏽 than ever...

Yeb’s journey — from tears at to actions against fossil fuel companies🛢️ — continues to inspire the advocates across the world fighting for ⚖️.

“The Fund must hold polluters to account! For 30 years we have been demanding that polluters who are wrecking the planet must .”

of makes clear that rich countries must pay BILLIONS, not millions into the Fund.

📰 NEW BLOG: The 20th meeting of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the Warsaw International Mechanism for (WIM) took place from the 12-15th of March in Bonn, Germany. This short blog provides an overview of what our expectations were, whether they were met, and what else we learnt from this 20th meeting.

📢 It also highlights important discussions on “gender-responsive” and “gender-transformative” approaches to and the plans for the 3rd Glasgow Dialogue on that will be held during the 2024 Bonn Climate Conference in June.

👏 This blog was developed by members of the Loss and Damage Collaboration in collaboration with the UNFCCC UN’s Women and Gender Constituency.

🔗Read it here:

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE 20th MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE WARSAW INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM FOR LOSS AND DAMAGE By members of the Loss and Damage Collaboration in collaboration with the UNFCCC's Women and Gender Constituency

📰NEW BLOG: Writing for The Climate Leadership Initiative (CLI), Farhana Shukor shares her journey to to follow as a member of the New Generation of Young Negotiators from Malaysia.

💪 In the blog, Farhana shares tips on understanding COP agenda items and highlights the need for stakeholder engagement to help understand and the importance of being in sync with your country delegation.

😮 Farhana also shares a number of the challenges that young people face when attending the COP and other UN Climate Change meetings which can impact effective youth engagement and participation in climate processes.

🔗Read it here:

The Long Road to COP from a Malaysian Youth Perspective By Farhana Shukor

📣 is a problem with a feminist based solution. That is why this , we are shining the spotlight on 5 inspirational , who play a crucial role in efforts to ensure that countries in the have what they need to address . These 👩🏽‍💼represent their countries, and work tirelessly to secure the action needed to help communities thrive — not just survive — and bring us closer to .

NEW BLOG: Continuing her series on Erin Roberts writes about the importance of to push back against conditioning that keeps us stuck in unhealthy patterns and ways of working.

🔗 Read the blog here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/courage-doesnt-always-roar-like-a-lion-ess-but-sometimes-it-has-to

To recap: In January we set our intention which is to cultivate our own , curate a thriving community and create our very own Blue Zones of change makers working on . ☀️

🔗 Find the blog here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/my-new-years-resolution-cultivating-wellbeing-and-curating-a-thriving-community

In February we wrote ourselves a letter from Love and exchanged some ideas on how to love ourselves more drawing on the work of Elizabeth Gilbert. 🩷

Find the blog here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/if-love-wrote-you-a-letter-what-would-it-say

Now, in March we are adding to the foundations of because we will need to be brave to push back on the conditioning of our cultures and societies that keeps us stuck in unhealthy ways of working. 🦁

We hope you are joining us on our journey to cultivate our own and to curate a healthy, thriving community of . We wish you a wonderful month

COURAGE DOESN’T ALWAYS ROAR LIKE A LION(ESS) BUT SOMETIMES IT HAS TO BY ERIN ROBERTS

📰 NEW BLOG: 17 Parties and Groups have made submissions to inform the 2024 work plan for the New Collective Quantified Goal on ( ). What do these submissions tell us about support for a Sub goal?

The process of developing the is set to conclude at the end of 2024. The structure of this work will be laid out in an NCQG work plan which is due to be published by UN Climate Change by March 2024 taking into account submissions made by Parties.

We already know from the decision that at least three meetings under the ad hoc work programme (AHWP) of the NCQG will take place this year, back-to-back with at least three technical expert dialogues (TEDs).

This blog unpacks which Parties see as part of the NCQG workplan and which don’t, and what this tells us about support for a Sub goal under the .

It also explores a number of key themes that emerge from the submissions including developed country calls for “discussions” on the expansion of the contributors base and Article 2.1(c) of the .

Before considering how Parties and Groups view participation in the TEDs and AHWP meetings and how we can ensure that is cemented into the work plan even if it’s not included in the work plan.

🔗Find out here:

WHAT DO THE SUBMISSIONS TO INFORM THE NCQG WORKPLAN TELL US ABOUT SUPPORT FOR A SUB GOAL ON LOSS AND DAMAGE UNDER THE NCQG? By members of the Loss and Damage Finance Project

📰 NEW BLOG: Nicolle Javier Bueno shares her experience navigating the negotiations at as a member of the New Generation of Young Negotiators representing the Dominican Republic.

The blog also highlights the outcomes from including the operationalisation of the Fund and also sheds light on the urgent need for collective action to address the impacts of the .

🔗 Read the full blog here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/navigating-loss-and-damage-a-young-womans-journey-from-simulation-to-reality-at-cop28

🧐 Find out more about the New Generation here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/the-new-generation

🥳 Find out more about here: https://climateleadershipinitiative.org/

NAVIGATING LOSS AND DAMAGE: A YOUNG WOMAN’S JOURNEY FROM SIMULATION TO REALITY AT COP28 BY ANA NICOLLE JAVIER BUENO

📰 NEW BLOG: Bruno Sirote — from Argentina 🇦🇷— shares his journey to as a member of the New Generation of Young Negotiators and the lessons learned from this transformative experience.

In the blog, Bruno Sirote shares the impact of education in empowering , the importance of acquiring technical knowledge and skills for meaningful contribution to addressing and the challenges faced when navigating the .

🔗 Read the full blog here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/educating-for-change-inside-the-walls-of-cop-negotiations-a-young-argentinianss-experience-at-cop28

🧐Find out more about the New Generation here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/the-new-generation

🥳Find out about more about here: https://climateleadershipinitiative.org/

📰Excellent Science Magazine article from Adelle Thomas on the need for more research on the costs of and links to and climate-resilient development to sustain the momentum of the operationalisation of the fund.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn4697

📰 NEW BLOG: writes about why is foundational in the journey to because it requires us to choose ourselves dozens of times each day and the more we love ourselves the easier those choices will become.

🔗Read it here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/if-love-wrote-you-a-letter-what-would-it-say

Tag:

In the blog describes a practice from of writing letters from by asking: “What would you have me know today”. Describing how healing this practice has been for her and so many others.

🔗Find more here: https://elizabethgilbert.substack.com/?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Felizabeth%2520gilbert&utm_medium=reader2&utm_campaign=reader2

You can also find out more about the movement is creating on an episode of the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast and hear a beautiful letter from Love to (and read by) co-host .

🔗 Find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722?i=1000640284400

This blog is the second in a year-long series on the foundations of as part of our commitment to help cultivate a thriving community of people working to make change in the world. The first foundation is setting an intention and the second is loving ourselves.

📰 Find the first blog in the series here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/pages/my-new-years-resolution-cultivating-wellbeing-and-curating-a-thriving-community

📜 Find out more about the work of the Collaboration here: https://www.lossanddamagecollaboration.org/

🧏‍♀️ Have you heard of Blue Zones?

are regions around the world 🌍 where people have been found to live longer, healthier lives compared to the global average. These areas have a higher concentration of centenarians 🧓🏻👵🏽 (individuals who live beyond 100 years) and are characterised by a lifestyle and environment that contribute to increased longevity.

Drawing inspiration from journalist and explorer 🗺️ and his work on the , including from his new documentary 🎥 “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” on , Erin Roberts, in her new blog 📑, distils some lessons learned including how working fewer hours has increased her productivity and quality of life and contemplates the potential application of Blue Zone principles to communities of practice, particularly within the community.

This has led her to initiate a new project: to cultivate a culture centred around . A culture which strengthens connection and encourages . One that inspires joy. A place where love is the theme of each day: love for ourselves, for one another and for the world 🌍.

This introspection serves as a starting point for a broader exploration of how the community, collectively, can embrace and embody the principles of well-being.

Read her full blog 📑 from our linktree!

Decolonising in an era of : A Primer for Artists

Online Workshop

23 February 2024 13:00 - 14:15 GMT

Speakers: Dr. .farhana.sultana and

The first workshop of the Ways of Repair : Loss and Damage Public Program will provide an introduction to the issue of loss and damage caused by the climate crisis.

Through a dialogue between Loss and Damage expert and advocate Harjeet Singh and interdisciplinary scholar and author Dr. Farhana Sultana, the workshop seeks to explore what loss and damage is, provide a brief history of Loss and Damage under the United Nations Climate Negotiations, and consider what Loss and Damage means by unpacking the relationship between Loss and Damage, climate coloniality, calls for reparations and climate justice, as well as anti-colonial, civil rights, and other forms of activism.

The workshops’ speakers will also consider how can we integrate more decolonial, anticolonial, feminist, antiracist, and anticapitalist critiques, and struggles —including those from critical theories explored by artists— into mainstream climate discourses and practices to redress ongoing oppressions and marginalizations (F. Sultana, Decolonizing Climate Coloniality).

Sign up for the workshop via our link tree.
farhana.sultana is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary scholar in water governance, climate justice, political ecology, and international development. She is Professor of Geography at Syracuse University, USA.

is a global expert on the issues of climate impacts, Loss and Damage migration, and adaptation. He is Global Engagement Director, at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative ().

After 30 years of effort, from developing countries on the frontline of the and from , a Fund and Funding Arrangements have been operationalised under the UN Climate Change at in Dubai.

The Fund —whilst not perfect— is a critical step towards and will play a vital role in supporting developing countries and communities already facing due to the .

Today's pledges for the Fund reach hundreds of millions of dollars but this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the $400 billion needed each year to address .

Although the pledges from Parties including the United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪 ($100m USD), Germany 🇩🇪($100m USD), the UK 🇬🇧 (£60m), the USA 🇺🇸($17.5m), Japan 🇯🇵 ($10m) and the EU 🇪🇺 (€125m) are a welcome first step, more and much bigger pledges are needed.

All pledges made at should acknowledge that needs right now are in the order of $400 billion (USD) a year, and ALL developed countries must now pledge to the Fund for us to begin to approach the scale of needs.