Tackling the limits to adaptation: An international framework to address ‘Loss And Damage’ from climate change impacts

The current and future scale of climate change implies serious loss and damage, especially to the lives and livelihoods of those who are poor, most vulnerable and least to blame. Still developed country governments are failing to act with sufficient emission reductions. Because of past inaction and the sheer severity of the problem, the response must now be not only to immediately and drastically cut emissions, support countries most affected to build their resilience and adapt, but also to address and redress the permanent loss and damage from climate change that is resulting from insufficient mitigation ambition to comprehensively tackle the problem. This report is aimed first and foremost at UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) negotiators and at the politicians and policymakers who will determine negotiating positions for their countries. However, the report will also be very useful for other actors and agencies working on and around the issue of climate change and who are concerned about our common future.