Recommendations for a L&D (Finance) Gap Report

With the operationalisation of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), the related funding arrangements for Loss and Damage, and the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD), in addition to the already established Warsaw International Mechanism Executive Committee (WIM ExCom), the issue of Loss and Damage (L&D) is now firmly anchored within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At the same time, little knowledge or information exists on the aggregate (financial) needs of developing countries related to L&D, how they evolve over time and temperature rise, how much finance is already available, or on the financing gap that the FRLD would ideally close.

One way to close this knowledge gap is a Gap Report, inter alia covering finance gaps. Reports like this are already being produced by for mitigation and adaptation by the United Nations Environment Programme. What is now missing is an equivalent report for L&D. Such a report would be imperative for accurately assessing the L&D finance needs of countries of the Global South, contributions made thus far, and the existing finance gap. 

Our policy paper provides recommendations for the preparation and preconditions for a L&D Gap Report and the finance part in it. Furthermore we provide concrete next steps towards a L&D (Finance) Gap Report.