COP25: UN climate talks ‘fail to offer helping hand to climate survivors’

Madrid, 15 December 2019 – The 25th UN climate conference (COP25) in Madrid ends today with little to no progress on supporting survivors of climate disasters in the Global South. 

While deadly droughts, flooding, cyclones and wildfires rage, the rich countries most responsible for the climate emergency, led by the US, have spent the talks dialling back ambition and blocking progress. 

Harjeet Singh, ActionAid’s global lead on climate change, says: “These talks are ending with a strong sense of déjà vu. The US has once again gotten its way through bullying and tricks. They came here in bad faith, acting only to protect their  interests and those of the polluting industries that caused the climate emergency.

"As fires rage and cyclones intensify, rich countries have folded their arms, refusing to offer the new systems and money so urgently needed to help countries forced to pick up the pieces after disasters. 

"Instead, this decision only offers statements of intent, working groups and networks, which should have been in place years ago. This result fails to offer a helping hand to climate survivors in the Global South who did the least to cause the crisis." 

Ends.

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