Climate Action for the Epicenter of Crisis: How COP28 Can Address the Injustices Facing Conflict-Affected Countries

The three global challenges of climate change, extreme poverty and conflict are converging to form a new epicenter of crisis. But these communities at the epicenter of the climate crisis are being unjustly abandoned by global leaders. Climate-vulnerable, conflict-affected communities contribute the least to climate change, bear its worst impacts, and yet have been consistently left out of the business-as-usual approach to climate action focused on stable settings.

COP28 has the opportunity to address the climate injustices facing the most vulnerable communities worldwide—not just fragile states, but specifically climate-vulnerable, conflict-affected countries. Global leaders at the annual climate conference can shift power to the communities at the epicenter of the climate crisis and contribute to the achievement of climate justice by committing to:

• Improving risk mapping of conflict-affected communities to target action where it is most needed;

• Investing in innovative adaptation, resilience and anticipatory action designed for conflict settings;

• Adopting a “people-first” approach to delivery through meaningful non-governmental partnerships;

• Making climate finance more equitable and accessible to adequately resource action.