CLIMATE JUSTICE
The burning case for climate reparations Compensation for loss and damage is at the heart of global south demands for climate justice. But true repair demands more, write HARPREET KAUR PAUL and TATIANA GARAVITO.
© Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
In 2019, twin cyclones Kenneth and Idai devastated communities in Mozambique within the space of one month. Around 146,000 people were internally displaced, the cyclone and flooding ruined 1 million acres of crops, and caused damage to 100,000 homes. Infrastructure to the tune of $1 billion was destroyed. Already, 63% of Mozambiquans lived in extreme poverty. The country faces a debt
8 Ninety-Nine 2022
crisis, exacerbated by secret loans made by international banks, including two in London. This poverty and indebtedness continues patterns of colonial exploitation by Portuguese and British interests. In the 20th century, British financiers backed the private companies leading Mozambique’s colonial administration, and forced communities into mines and plantations in neighbouring British colonies. This pattern continues today through debt, trade and investment agreements
Climate justice movements in the global north are increasingly putting reparations - long demanded by the global south - on their agenda.
