Climate Loss and Damage: From Assigning Responsibilities Towards Their Implementation

Abstract

Climate change causes economic and non-economic losses, eco-systemic and community destruction, and morbidity. Not all of these losses and damages (L&D) are easily monetarized (perhaps some cannot be at all) and it is a difficult challenge to understand the kinds of institutions and procedures needed to secure appropriate compensation and management. This panel moves from the conceptual to the more concrete, from the question of how to assign responsibilities to compensate for L&D to how to manage the different kinds of L&D and associated threats. To be able to properly assign responsibilities for L&D and corresponding reactions we need to know what harm constitutes a legitimate claim for compensation or any other kind of assistance. When managing L&D we need to be clear about who has to manage what and carefully distinguish between the differing requirements stemming from the various losses and damages that can occur. Overall, this panel investigates from an ethical perspective different accounts of why and how climate policy must deal with L&D. This helps to better understand the conceptual and practical underpinnings of this new and growing policy area of international climate politics.