Communities are organized and face climate change as an existential threat but find little to no avenues to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Participation mechanisms are extremely limited, and community access to financial support is not a priority on the implementation of processes. Yet, frontline communities are taking actions to adapt and mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity and are responding to loss and damage out of their own sole pocket. There must be a shift in how we work together and move towards tangible efforts to repair the damage done to our communities and ecosystems.
This joint letter from numerous civil society organizations urges the COP30 President to include frontline community needs on loss and damage in relevant COP30 discussions. An ethical review of the current response to loss and damage must be implemented at COP30 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to restore the credibility of this multilateral process.