Loss and Damage alive, but barely

The rumors about the new draft ADP text were right—loss and damage had its own paragraph, yes, but only in the preamble, where the Warsaw decisions were recalled, and progress on it was said to be welcomed here in Lima, despite the disappointing disagreements on this concept in the closing plenary earlier today.

There was no other mention of L&D in the actual text. In terms of how things progress at the climate talks, we can at least be grateful that the mechanism is still alive. According to a negotiator from a small island state, this means that it is not yet operative, although countries which want to push for the mechanism to actually roll out can still work on it in Geneva on February.

However, paragraph 11 states that least developed countries and small island developing states may communicate information on low greenhouse gas emission development, but in consideration of the so-called intended nationally determined contributions.

Talk about priorities—these highly vulnerable countries are already drowning and instead of taking at least initial steps to deal with the climate-induced impacts they are facing which are beyond the reach of adaptation, the UNFCCC wants them to think about mitigation.