Martin announces cash to help poorer nations respond to climate change threat
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said the funding, announced at the Cop summit in Turkey, showed ministers were ‘acting with urgency’.
Scotland is “acting with urgency” to provide practical support to the countries hardest hit by climate change, Gillian Martin said.
The Climate Action Secretary spoke out as she announced a further £2 million to help nations in the global south prepare for and deal with the damaging impacts of changing weather patterns.
Speaking as the United Nations Cop climate change conference got under way in Turkey, Ms Martin said the Scottish Government had provided more than £10 million for such work since the global summit was hosted in Glasgow five years ago.
Ms Martin, who is attending Cop31 in Turkey on behalf of the Scottish Government, said: “Scotland continues to proudly support communities which – despite having done the least to cause climate change – are suffering its worst impacts.”
Stressing that “countries in the global south need support to deal with loss and damage now”, she said she was “proud that Scotland was the first government to commit funding explicitly for loss and damage”.
Ms Martin continued: “Since Cop26 in Glasgow we have provided over £10 million to support some of the most vulnerable communities.
“This latest funding builds on that and shows we are acting with urgency to provide practical support.
“It will help communities in the global south respond to climate change, access finance and have a stronger voice in international decision-making.”
More than half the cash, some £1.2 million, will go to the Climate Vulnerable Forum – Vulnerable 20 organisation of countries at high risk from climate change, to support its work across the Pacific, Africa and Asia.
A further £500,000 will contribute to a new partnership with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, which will help Uganda, Kiribati, and St Nevis and Kitts to better understand and respond to the lesser acknowledged damage climate change causes, including the impacts to people’s health, culture, heritage and natural environment.
Lastly the remaining £300,000 will extend Scotland’s partnership with the Loss and Damage Collaboration, helping climate-vulnerable countries access vital climate finance and strengthening their voice at Cop31 and beyond.
Kamal Kishore, special representative of the UN secretary-general for disaster risk reduction hailed the Scottish Government “for its leadership and vision in tackling the climate emergency”.
He added: “Through this partnership, we will help the most vulnerable countries better understand and reduce the non-economic losses caused by climate change and disasters, many of which remain hidden and underappreciated.”
Lang Banks, director of the environmental charity WWF Scotland, also praised the Scottish Government’s actions.
He said: “It’s welcome to see the Scottish Government’s continued support for action on loss and damage, committing to those communities that have contributed least to the climate crisis, are suffering its worst impacts and must be at the heart of shaping the response.
“However, it must go hand in hand with urgent cuts to emissions at home – every delay means greater losses for people and nature.”