Do the math – LOSS AND DAMAGE FUND?

Source: Do the math   Joe Lo

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Nine months on from the historic decision to set up a loss and damage fund and we’re finally getting into the details of what it will look like.

The US and developing countries have published rival proposals and are currently hashing out their differences in a five-star hotel in the Dominican Republic.

There’s a number of differences between the two on substance but the proposal that’s perhaps provoked the most anger is over the make-up of the board of the new fund.

Campaigners and developing countries say the US is trying to rig the powerful panel in rich nations’ favour, by adding seats for the countries that donate the most to the fund.

But, in a heated face-to-face exchange with campaigners, the US negotiator claimed “from our math it is equal” because “we’re not making assumptions” about who the biggest contributors will be.

It looks like an American attempt to engineer a win-win situation. If developing countries like China don’t donate, then rich nations control the board. If they do, it takes the pressure off US and European taxpayers.

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