Developing nations demand climate funding before COP26

Nations most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming yesterday called for rich countries to live up to their promise to finance the fight against climate change, ahead of a crunch UN summit.

Highlighting a "worrying lack of urgency" from recent G7 and G20 summits, dozens of countries said the COP26 talks in Glasgow later this year needed to deliver help to communities already impacted by climate-driven extreme weather.

With growing warnings from scientists and climate change gaining international attention, the pressure on delegates to achieve meaningful results is huge.

The Glasgow to-do list is similarly daunting.

As well as finalising the rulebook implementing the 2015 Paris agreement, nations are also expected to make good on a 2009 promise to give climate-vulnerable nations $100 billion annually to draw down their emissions and adapt to climate impacts.

"At least $100bn per year was promised by 2020 with increased annual sums from 2025," the countries wrote in their five-point plan for COP26.

These include Kenya, Ethiopia, Gabon, Somalia, the Philippines, Bhutan, Tanzania and Bolivia.

"However, this target has been missed and needs fixing urgently if developing countries can trust richer nations at COP26 to keep to what they negotiate."

They also called for at least 50 percent of funding to be allocated to future climate adaptation, as well as separate allocation for the "loss and damage" already inflicted upon poorer nations by the historical emissions of rich economies.