Developed nations point to work they have done on green tech, and problem of how to classify China also remains
For 30 years it has been a bone of contention for developing countries. Why should they be stuck with the economic toll of climate change that they did little to cause?
Finally, it seems, the debate will be had out in the open. For the first time, so-called “loss and damage” has made it on to the finance agenda for the annual Cop climate summit.
Pakistan has been among the loudest voices calling for climate compensation as it struggles to deal with repeated catastrophes, including floods this year that left a third of the country under water.
It is difficult for the developed world to argue against the injustice of the situation. The US is responsible for 20 per cent of the world’s cumulative CO2 output, according to analysis by the website Carbon Brief. Pakistan, by contrast, has contributed just 0.3 per cent.