India, together with a group of least developed countries (the G-77), will push for "loss and damages" compensation at the upcoming climate summit COP-27 in November, as worsening weather conditions hurt the economies of poorer countries the most, Bloomberg reports.
"Mitigation was the focus of the [latest] COP talks because that's what the UK focused on as hosts…This had caused disappointment among the smaller countries [due to] the lack of discussion on loss and damages," Indian Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav told the newspaper.
Yadav's remarks came days after his Pakistani counterpart Sherry Rehman said that "climate funding is unfair to developing countries" as her country has faced its worst flood disaster in a decade.
Nearly 1,400 people were killed and 33 million were affected due to floods that inundated almost all of Pakistan. A number of cities received 500 to 700 percent more rainfall than average in August.
According to Rehman, the group of 77 developing countries plus China, which Pakistan currently chairs, will demand compensation from polluters after the Global South witnessed a year of devastating droughts, floods, heatwaves and forest fires.
"Pakistan has hardly contributed to emissions; we must mobilize for global climate action; this is the time to put Loss and Damage at COP," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who visited the South Asian country, said on September 7th.
During the UN Climate meeting in Glasgow, the US and European Union blocked an attempt by poorer and middle-income countries to establish a dedicated new damages fund for the vulnerable nations.
However, the Glasgow deal did recognize the rising costs of losses and damage in developing countries.
UN estimates that over $300 billion would be required by 2030 to assist developing countries in adapting to climate change.