Dedicated financing for loss and damage programming is a strong step towards global solidarity.At the age of five, I was introduced to the climate crisis by way of a powerful rainstorm that destroyed the roof of my family’s home. This “natural hazard,” as it was framed in the local media, sparked my passion for learning about science, the world’s climate, and the overwhelming global crisis we’re facing.
While the 1950s saw a marked increase in the consumption of fossil fuels, the 1980s would see a significant dependence on oil and gas that launched the world into the throes of an irreversible climate crisis. In the 1990s, the world’s most incessant polluters began to understand that fossil fuels were causing “climate change” and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the planet. This period also saw small island countries decry the disastrous impacts of sea level rise.