Ms Siobhan Curran:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to present this morning. Trócaire works across 24 countries worldwide, and many of the communities with which we work in partnership are on the front line of the climate and biodiversity crisis. We work with our colleagues in Stop Climate Chaos across a range of climate justice issues, and as Mr. O'Neill mentioned, I will focus on loss and damage. As Ms Wathuti has said, loss and damage is an issue that speaks to the heart of climate injustice. While some of the poorest countries in the world who have contributed least to the climate crisis are experiencing massive losses and damage from climate impacts, they are being left to pay for a crisis not of their making. This is diverting much-needed public finance for sustainable development into dealing with crises and is pushing countries further into debt. It is a matter of climate justice that richer countries including Ireland, contribute to, and support the development of this third pillar of finance under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC.

Addressing loss and damage must be framed within a human rights-based approach under common but differentiated responsibilities. I speak as millions of people in the Horn of Africa and east Africa are experiencing crisis levels of hunger due to the worst drought in 40 years. The losses and damage in this context are profound, with a likely declaration of famine in parts of Somalia in the coming weeks. People in Somalia are facing starvation, mass displacement, loss of homes, livelihood and livestock, and, for many pastoralists, loss of their way of life due to the climate crisis. The injustice is stark when we consider that Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan represent 2.75% of the world’s population but account for just 0.1% of global carbon emissions. It is estimated that Ireland produces nearly 54 times higher emissions than Somalia alone.

Despite decades of struggle by small island states and countries most vulnerable to climatic shocks to deal with loss and damage, it has been excluded from the financial architecture of the UNFCCC. In practice, this means there is no accessible and predictable finance for crucial measures such as rehabilitation, reconstruction and unavoidable relocation caused by climate events. This is a glaring omission and this third and missing pillar of finance must be provided in addition to mitigation and adaptation finance and to official development assistance. Loss and damage have a particular gendered impact as women and girls experience greater climate impacts due to factors such as unequal access to resources, limited mobility and less access to decision-making. Therefore, communities need access to gender-responsive, adequate and predictable finance that meets their needs. It is crucial this is provided in the form of grants and does not contribute to further unsustainable debt for the poorest countries in the world. Given the rising scale of climate-related damage, there is no time to lose.

COP 27 is a moment for Ireland to show global leadership, solidarity and political will. If the UNFCCC continues to fail to address loss and damage and the demands of the global south, its credibility will be severely undermined. We are calling on Ireland to support the establishment of a loss and damage finance facility to support loss and damage as a permanent agenda item at COP. These are demands from our partners throughout the global south, including the least developed countries which Ireland has prioritised in climate action. We also call on the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to follow the lead of Denmark and commit initial loss and damage finance. This will be a sign of leadership and a political signal of Ireland’s commitment to addressing loss and damage before COP 27.

For the people we work with, this is not a matter for their grandchildren or a fear for the future; it is their daily reality. We call on Ireland to do the right thing and we implore committee members to take action to ensure Ireland becomes a leader and voice for justice, equality and human rights in climate action.