Loss and Damage in the Pacific

Die Veranstaltung findet auf englisch statt.

Background and concept:
With Fiji as the first Pacific COP presidency, the issue of climate-induced losses and damages moves to the centre of the international climate policy debate. As one of the most affected regions, the Pacific is already experiencing severe climate impacts like ocean acidification, sea level rise and tropical cyclones putting livelihoods, coastal settlements and ecosystems at risk.

It is therefore no coincidence that the first L&D consideration in an official text (Bali 2007) draws back to a submission initiated by island states (AOSIS).
Avoiding impacts requires much more ambitious mitigation actions and adaptation measures can support reducing human suffering - however, effective solutions to deal with unavoidable losses are lacking.

After establishing the Warsaw International Mechanism on L&D 2013, the issue experienced an intensive uplift with introducing a separate article in the Paris Agreement. But essential challenges need to be solved - especially in the light of reaching adaptation limits.
The event will discuss some challenges being particularly relevant for the Pacific Region.

Including:
• Solutions for "non-economic losses", not measurable in classic terms. As the Pacific culture entails a strong attachment to land, this is of central concern.
• Migration/displacement in the context of climate change, including in the growing risk of being displaced, a growing necessity to relocate communities or finding migration opportunities.
The event will discuss possibilities to address these challenges in the UNFCCC framework.

Preliminary Agenda:
1. L&D in the Pacific - What is at stake? (Maina Talia, Pacific Climate Action Network - PICAN)
2. Non-economic L&D - A central concern of Pacific communities (Sabine Minninger, Bread for the World)
3. Migration and Displacement in the context of climate change (Olivia Serdeczny, Climate Analytics/DIE)
4. Addressing challenges in the UNFCCC – role of the WIM (Vera Künzel, Germanwatch)
5. Reaction from the policy space (SIDS representative/WIM ExCom Member tbc)

Moderation: Steffen Bauer, DIE

Eine COP23-Akkreditierung ist nicht notwendig, um Zugang zu diesem Side Event zu bekommen.
Wegen der Security-Checks am Eingang sollte ein Ausweis griffbereit sein.