Climate conference in Egypt: protective shield should help poor countries

The world climate conference has launched a protective shield for countries particularly threatened by global warming. Sounds good at first, but what does that mean in concrete terms? What should the help look like and what are the problems?

The name is as unwieldy as the construct is complicated: “Global protective shield against climate risks” – that’s the name of the German initiative, which is unanimously supported by the G7 countries.

The aim of the protective shield: more and faster financial aid for countries in the Global South if they suffer damage from climate change, such as floods or severe droughts. That is why the global protective umbrella was also developed together with the so-called V20 countries – i.e. with the poor countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Fast help planned for climate damage

The idea behind the protective shield sounds very technical at first: This should bundle activities “in the area of ​​climate risk protection and prevention,” explained the German Development Ministry. In practical terms, it is a question of working out mechanisms to ensure that poor countries can be protected and get money quickly in the event of climate damage, for example for reconstruction after a tropical storm.

The global protective umbrella is therefore often compared to a kind of insurance: you pay something in so that money flows in the event of damage. Of course, the poor countries don’t want to pay any money – and they find the idea outrageous: After all, the rich countries are to blame for climate change through the emissions from their industries. Then they would also have to pay for the global damage. Otherwise it would be like someone setting fire to your house and then wanting to sell fire protection insurance, they said.

That’s why the German negotiators of the global protective shield are careful with the wording “insurance”. Apparently, it should ultimately be checked individually for each country whether financial participation can be expected. There is a general saying that under the protective umbrella, security solutions are being worked out that can be implemented quickly if climate damage occurs. This is linked to precautionary plans in the respective developing countries.

And as a result, according to the noble goal, help should become easier and faster accessible for the people and authorities who urgently need it in the event of a disaster. In addition, the protective shield mobilizes additional funds to meet the growing need for financing, it said. In other words: deposit money, provide money and, if necessary, spend a lot of money.

Germany with 170 million euros

As many industrialized countries as possible should take part – Germany hopes and puts 170 million euros in the pot itself. As an entry fee, so to speak. A sum that alone is far too small, criticize environmental protection organizations. Above all, they demand that a binding financial mechanism be created within the UN framework for climate-related damage and losses – such as an international fund – and not just an initiative of individual countries.

That is why Germany always emphasizes that the global protective shield is an addition to a possible UN solution that can be implemented in the near future. And so other states and actors are now to be brought in so that the protective umbrella is ultimately more than just a holey umbrella.