Vulnerable Nations Push For Climate Finance Reforms In EU Talks

What the report says

Delegates from the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) meeting in Brussels are pressing for changes to global climate finance ahead of talks with European Union lawmakers. According to Nile Post, the bloc wants funding rules that help vulnerable countries respond to climate disasters without taking on more debt, especially in places that have contributed only a small share of global emissions.

The issue was central to the 65th OACPS Parliamentary Assembly, where Uganda’s Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, who also leads the assembly, urged members to push for climate justice and to argue that the highest emitters should pay more of the costs. He pointed to severe impacts across OACPS regions, including sea-level rise and coastal damage in the Caribbean, drought and food insecurity in Africa, and worsening conditions in Pacific states.

The report says former UNECA climate policy chief Dr James Murombedzi warned that loans are worsening debt pressure in vulnerable countries. He called for more grants for adaptation, direct support for loss and damage, and easier access to climate funds. Other delegates backed broader financial reform, including support for the Bridgetown Initiative and climate-resilient debt clauses. Their discussions are set to continue during the joint OACPS-EU assembly in Brussels this week.