Michai Robertson, Lead on Loss and Damage Finance at the Alliance of Small Island States, joined Cheddar News from COP27 to discuss what's at stake.

<b>Michai Robertson, lead on loss and damage finance at the Alliance of Small Island States, joined Cheddar News from COP27 to discuss what's at stake. “It continuously sets us back in relation to thriving," he said. "So it's beyond just our existence, but it hurts our ability to go beyond and become as close to developed as we can.”</b>

Small Island States Call for Climate Funding

well with world leaders converging in. Egypt for the major U. N. Climate conference called cop 27. There's one group of countries that are on the frontlines of climate change. These are small island nations like Fiji the Maldives in Haiti. But these countries they have a low carbon footprint but they've already started to experience some severe effects of climate change, rising sea level, increasing severe storms, flooding and even the threat of submersion. Cheddar news is baker machado recently spoke with McKay Robertson lead on loss and damage finance at the Alliance of Small island states who joined us from cop 27 to discuss. I think simply put it is about the matter beyond because we talk about survival and existential crisis in relation to small island states. But really and truly when you look at loss and damage and the fact that every time that you have these um this harm happening to us based on something that we had the least to contribute to. Um it and it continuously sets us back right. It's considered continuously sets us back in relation to thriving. So it's beyond just our existence. But it hurts our ability to go beyond and become as close to developed as we can. So this is one of the main reasons why we fight in this room. Um and these rooms and this forum to make sure that that we push forward um and fight for our ability to thrive those countries. Yeah look those of us who care about climate change are happy that this is going on. But there are some people out there that say not enough actually gets done at these at these summits. So what at the end of the day is your top priority at Cop 27. And do you feel like your concerns are being heard here? Yeah. So we've been quite clear for the last year that our top priority is getting a fund underneath this process because this process, even though, as you highlight it is quite slow, um it's really and truly the only process where you guarantee equitable, transparent representative and governance, right? So it's about us being able to not only create something, create a fund where we know it's fit for purpose of addressing the issue, but as well that we are represented and that our needs and priorities are on the top of the agenda as opposed to potentially other external solutions where it is and where we're not involved in controlling those solutions. Uh basically it is not our needs and priorities that are at the forefront. So this is really and truly one of the main forms we have to make sure that and it's required that our voices are heard McKay loss and damage. Really a specialty for you have been the focus at this year's talks also asking wealthy countries to pay for damage that's been caused by extreme weather events in vulnerable regions. This because they're disproportionately responsible for global warming, mainly because from those, those larger countries, how much progress has been made on this front? And do you see countries like the United States china paying almost reparations in many ways for this. So what I hope that the sort of the developed countries um would would do and and sort of push for is that they provide funding not for just any sort of blank check reason, but provide funding for specific activities that we need to do, we need to do need to have um in order to push forward and and address the issues that that that we have. And so it's it's just quite clear that it's not again just something that you you push for it in in a in a blanket manner, but it's fit for purpose and and it's what we need to address at least on our end, especially looking at the different non economic and economic losses that we face? Well, let's talk about what the United States is at least attempting to do here because President biden is at the top 27 today and he's going to tout his landmark climate law here in the U. S. That's aiming to steer the country away from fossil fuels which we know is really one of the big parts when it comes to climate change. Do you think the U. S. Is doing enough to curb climate change? And do you think that there is anything that you would like him to tell or to hear from him and anything you want to tell him? Yeah. No. So I think that what needs to happen, especially looking at the the the recent um inflation reduction act, um it is primarily nationally focused, which is obviously good. It's obviously good to have those first steps. However, there's an international dimension to this, right? Um not only do we need funding for other developing countries to to mitigate or stop the cause of climate change, um but we also need funding for our adaptations or preparing for all the climate change that we are about to face. Right? And then obviously the loss and damage. But when the events happened, we need to be able to have funding um in order to to address that. And so what I hope is that beyond just the the inflation reduction act, that that's primary nationally focused is that the US will also deal with providing international support, especially in the way is promised. Um and what we really and truly haven't seen um as much leadership on um in in the in the past several years. And so we do hope to see more contributions from from the US on that front going beyond just national legislation. Nothing that's good for their enabling environment, but also we don't want smaller and developing states for example to be left behind. So where do we fall in that equation as you as related back to the fact that we are disproportionately burdened and contributed the least to the issue. So where are we in that in relation to that type of legislation and that type of push from the administration? Yeah, McKay I'm running out of time with you but I want to hit on that really quickly here because what else is sort of needed here to make sure that the world's most vulnerable, who are bearing the brunt of climate change's impact are being protected moving forward here. Yeah. So quite simply put it is it is about funding, right? Funding underpins everything in relation to all the actions that we have uh and and the actions that we can do and that we're committing to do. So if there is no international cooperation on funding to push forward on the different three different areas that I talked about mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage response. Um then then then then we're cooked right? We're all cooked. So we hope that we can have some leadership especially from the US on that front. Alright, thanks again there to McKay Robertson lead on loss and damage finance at the Alliance of small island States