Climate fuelled disasters were the number one driver of internal displacement over the last decade, forcing more than 20 million people a year – one person every two seconds - to leave their homes, said Oxfam today. The contentious issue of financial support for communities, including displaced communities, which have suffered loss and damage as a result of the climate crisis is expected to take centre stage at the UN Climate Summit in Madrid from 2 – 13 December 2019.

With the United Nations’ climate conference drawing to a close, it’s clear there’s been very little progress on how to help people affected by climate change, despite record-breaking hurricanes and catastrophic floods dominating headlines this year.

Negotiators have given themselves the tools to build a stronger deal in Paris, but governments must now put them to good use. Oxfam will continue to press for a climate deal for the world’s poorest people. Exclusion of civil society from the process that has characterized the meeting in Bonn must not be a precedent for Paris.

Negotiators avoided a show-down over crunch issues like finance and increasing near term emissions cuts, but they are only delaying the inevitable. A clearer mandate from Heads of State and ministers is needed to ignite the talks and ensure key questions are answered.

Oxfam welcomes the ambitious Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) from Ethiopia, as it sets far-reaching short-term and long-term goals on adaptation and reducing emissions.

Oxfam is deeply disappointed by Japan’s lack of ambition.  Setting a draft target of 26% emissions reduction below 2013 levels (18% below 1990 levels) by 2030 is woefully inadequate. 

Another year of increasingly extreme and destructive weather and new political momentum were not yet enough to boost the ambition of UN climate talks in Peru. The decisions made in Lima do not foreclose the possibility an agreement in Paris, but do little to improve the odds of success.