Climate Reparations

REMAKING THE WORLD

The development of the modern global system has caused unimaginable harm. 

This harm encompasses both the violent seizure of human beings and resources at the core of colonialism and the inequity of the fossil fuel economy that grew out of it. Over time, nations that enriched themselves through theft became wealthier by burning fossil fuels. And today, nations impoverished by colonialism cannot afford the infrastructure, the health care, or—given the specialized barbarism of international finance—the loans needed to protect their citizens against the crisis, much less to invest in renewable energy.

Climate reparations offer harm reduction and, if implemented robustly, transformation. Because resources were stolen by colonizing nations from countries that are now climate vulnerable, they must be returned.

Climate reparations are compensation from high-emissions, low-vulnerability countries—those most responsible for climate impacts—to low-emissions, high-vulnerability countries—those most harmed. Reparations will also establish new governance systems to address climate change equitably.

Island nations, later joined by other developing nations, youth groups, and civil society groups, started advocating for a “loss and damage” fund 30 years ago. Funding would offset the costs of climate devastation within their borders that they had not caused—a step toward climate reparations. In a major breakthrough, the UN’s 2022 climate conference established a loss and damage fund. Activists from around the world are pushing for further advances on enforcement and scale.

“In order to repair individual communities as well as the global community, all those engaged in the reparative effort will have to squarely confront the deep moral questions posed by both the initiating harm—excess emissions—and the continuing harm: the failure to adequately include the plight of the climate vulnerable in the current processes developed to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.”
–MAXINE BURKETT, ORIGINATOR OF THE CONCEPT OF CLIMATE REPARATIONS

OCEAN WARMING INCREASES THE DEADLINESS OF STORMS. IN 2013, TYPHOON HAIYAN DEVASTATED THE PHILIPPINES, INCLUDING TACLOBAN, SHOWN HERE. IT KILLED 6300 PEOPLE AND PERMANENTLY DISPLACED 4 MILLION MORE.

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