Poor countries are the most affected
Denmark is the first country in the world to pay compensation for the damages caused by climate change
The cost of recovering from floods in Pakistan is estimated at $10 billion.
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Denmark has pledged to send 13 million dollars to the affected countries, which suffer "damage and loss" as a result of climate change, which is the first time in the history of the United Nations, pledged by a wealthy country and a member of the International Organization, to provide compensation to countries that have suffered losses as a result of emissions caused by the developed world.
The remarkable announcement was made last Tuesday, as diplomats and world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Earlier in the day, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on countries around the world to tax fossil fuel companies, and use the proceeds from those taxes to help people suffering disasters as a result of the damage caused by climate change.
Inspirational visit
The Danish Minister of Development, Fleming and Leer Mortensen, said in a statement: "It was his visit to areas in Bangladesh that were hit by floods that inspired him to make this pledge."
"It is unfair that the world's poorest countries suffer the most from climate change, and they do not have a significant role in its occurrence," Mortensen said.
Responsibilities
Giving aid to those affected by climate change has long been a call of environmentalists and leaders of poor countries.
But wealthy nations, including the United States, have rejected these calls, fearing that any form of financial support would entail legal liability for the mounting losses of climate change.
But the issue has taken on significant momentum amid the mounting catastrophes of climate change, such as drought-induced famine in East Africa and recent deadly floods in Pakistan.
400 groups of activists sent a letter this month calling for funding for climate change damage and losses to be added to the agenda of the United Nations climate negotiations scheduled for November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Over the past year, the talks, held in Glasgow, Scotland, became the first government contribution to fund loss and damage.
(Scotland is not a member of the United Nations, but is part of the United Kingdom), and Belgium's Wallonia region has pledged another million euros for the cause.
But the money that Denmark will pay for losses and damages caused by climate change is by far the highest, even if it seems very small compared to the losses caused by climate change each year, activists say.
The cost of recovering from the flood disaster in Pakistan alone is estimated at $10 billion.
Sharm El Sheikh talks
According to the Danish Foreign Ministry's announcement, the pledge includes 40 million Danish kroner ($5.4 million), to work with civil society groups to address losses and damages, especially in the Sahel region in Africa.
Several million more have been earmarked for "strategic efforts related" to the damages and losses negotiations that will take place ahead of the upcoming Sharm el-Sheikh talks in Egypt.
The head of international political strategy at Climate Protection, Harriet Singh, described Denmark's pledge to pay the money as "important", but indicated that a third of the money pledged by Denmark would go to the United Nations program, through which private companies provide insurance for the most vulnerable groups. vulnerable to disasters caused by climate change.
"This will eventually support business for European companies in developed countries, which will make poor people pay the price for losses and damages from disasters caused by climate change," Singh said. The Danish embassy was not available to comment.
Sarah Kaplan is a reporter covering climate change issues.
Giving aid to those affected by climate change has long been a call of environmentalists and leaders of poor countries.
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