Loss and Damage Fund Opens โfor Requests, But developingโค Nations Express Reservations
BELรM, Brazil – November 13, 2025 – The landmark Loss and Damage fund, established to assist vulnerable nations grappling wiht the devastating impacts of climate change, has begun accepting requests for financial assistance, marking a pivotal moment in international climate negotiations.โฃ While welcomed as โขa crucial step forward, developing countries are simultaneously cautioning that โขthe initial operationalization of the fund falls short of the ample needs on the ground.
The proclamation came during the ongoing COP30 โclimate summit in Belรฉm, Brazil, โฃwhere representatives from nations most affected by climate-related disasters have long advocated for concrete financial mechanisms to address unavoidableโ losses. the fund, agreed upon at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, aims to provide assistance โfor โimpacts like extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity โฃloss – consequences to which developing countries โฃcontribute the least but disproportionately โฃsuffer.
However, concerns remain regardingโ the scale of funding โpledged โฃthus far – currently totaling over $700 โmillion – and the โคcomplexities of the application process. Many nationsโฃ emphasize that the amount is significantly less than theโ estimated โtrillions of dollarsโฃ needed to adequately address loss and damage, and worry that stringent requirements for accessing โคthe fundsโค could hinder timely โsupport for โthose most in โneed. โข
“This is a welcome first step, but it is just that โค- a first step,” stated a representative from the Allianceโ of Small Island States (AOSIS) during aโข press briefing. “The โคscaleโค of the climateโข crisis demands a far more ambitious financial commitment, and the process for accessing โthese funds must beโข streamlined to ensure rapid assistance reaches those facing existential threats.”
the Lossโ and damageโ Fund’s operationalization represents a hard-won victory for developing nations, who have long argued that ancient emitters bear a obligation to finance the consequences of a crisis โขthey largely created. The fund is intended to complement, notโ replace, existing commitments โto mitigation and adaptation finance.
The initial โคcall โforโ proposals focuses on establishing โขclear criteria for assessing needs, prioritizing the most vulnerable countries,โฃ and ensuring equitable access to resources. Further details regarding the application process and fundingโค priorities are available on the fund’s official website. the success of theโ Loss andโ Damage Fund will be a key indicator of global commitmentโ to climate justice and the ability โคto deliverโข tangible support to those on โthe frontโ linesโ of the climate crisis.
