As Nigeria rails at loss and damage “mirage”, fund boss assures money is coming

Share: X (Twitter) Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Print After a four-year set up period, a fund to help vulnerable countries respond to climate impacts is facing criticism from Nigeria's environment minister over delays in delivering aid, while its chief executive says the first disbursements will be made . At an event at London Climate Action Week on Tuesday, Nigerian environment minister Balarabe Abbas Lawal said that whenever he goes to UN climate summits "we talk about loss and damage funds, and all these years nothing has been translated into action". He added that the fund currently "looks like a mirage", and said that "a number of our governments are beginning to believe that COPs are just talk shops". The idea of addressing the loss and damage caused COP13 in 2007. A fund was agreed to at COP27 in 2022 to help vulnerable countries respond to climate emergencies, and it was officially set up the next year. Since then, the fund's board and management have been working out the details of how it will work. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, a banker from Senegal, was appointed CEO in 2024. Referring to Lawal's frustration, Diong told Climate Home News on Thursday that the fund is "moving according to plan". Log in here → Upgrade to keep reading For 15 years we’ve rigorously reported on the decisions shaping our climate. Upgrading to a paid subscription is how readers like you help keep this work going.  £40/quarter → Or £130/year — best value. ×Log in to your account Forgot your password? After a four-year set up period, a fund to help vulnerable countries respond to climate impacts is facing criticism from Nigeria's environment minister over delays in delivering aid, while its chief executive says the first disbursements will be made . At an event at London Climate Action Week on Tuesday, Nigerian environment minister Balarabe Abbas Lawal said that whenever he goes to UN climate summits "we talk about loss and damage funds, and all these years nothing has been translated into action". He added that the fund currently "looks like a mirage", and said that "a number of our governments are beginning to believe that COPs are just talk shops". The idea of addressing the loss and damage caused COP13 in 2007. A fund was agreed to at COP27 in 2022 to help vulnerable countries respond to climate emergencies, and it was officially set up the next year. Since then, the fund's board and management have been working out the details of how it will work.