Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

COP28, the annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, will take place in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December. Mitigation of and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, climate finance for adaptation and mitigation and loss and damage will be priorities for Ireland during the conference. While public finance remains key, other more innovative sources of finance must also be identified including from the fossil fuel sector in order to support the most vulnerable countries in mitigating and building resilience against climate change.

Throughout this year, Ireland has been committed to delivering recommendations on a loss and damage fund that will serve the most vulnerable countries and communities. The transitional committee on loss and damage, on which Ireland was represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs, has met intensively since March. After a difficult process, there is now a text on the table that is to be formally approved at COP28. Ireland and the EU encourage endorsement by all parties at COP28 of this text.

Ireland is firmly committed to mobilising further finance for loss and damage, including through this new fund, pending formal agreement of the text at COP. We are working with our partners in the EU to plan in this regard. To date, we have demonstrated our commitment to loss and damage finance by pledging finance to initiatives such as the Santiago Network to provide technical assistance on loss and damage, and the Global Shield to assist vulnerable communities to prepare for climate disasters.

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