Addressing loss and damage: Insights from the humanitarian sector

The decision at COP27 to establish new funding arrangements and a fund to address loss and damage is the beginning of a vital process to address a critical gap in climate finance. The Transitional Committee, tasked with making recommendations on how to operationalise the new fund and funding arrangements, will have to address a number of complex and challenging questions. How, for example, can funding be accessed as rapidly as possible in the wake of sudden onset events? Who should have access to funding and how can this be delivered? How can the fund most effectively coordinate with and complement existing international funding arrangements? This paper is a contribution to that discussion, outlining the experience and lessons learned by the international humanitarian sector. It provides a brief overview of international humanitarian action and how it relates to activities that might fall within the scope of loss and damage, and then addresses eight key areas where humanitarian experience can inform the work of the Transitional Committee.