Glasgow, Scotland – As COP26 drew to a close last night, the LDC Group, representing 46 of the poorest countries most vulnerable to climate change while contributing the least, reflected on the outcomes.

Following the closing plenary, Mr Sonam P. Wangdi, Chair of the LDC Group, said “We have come a long way in Glasgow to ensure ambitious global action to address the climate change. We are appreciative of the leadership the UK has shown in bringing parties together to reach this outcome.

We have to acknowledge the final decision is far from enough to match the scale of the crisis and to meet the needs of our countries. We will leave Glasgow knowing that progress has been made.

The text acknowledges that more needs to be done. It requests countries to come forward with new climate targets ahead of the end of the next year that are in line with 1.5°C. We must continue to scale up ambition until the 2030 ambition gap is closed. This is what the science requires of us.

We look forward to seeing these updates next year.

We are disappointed that the proposed Glasgow Loss and Damage Facility is not included in the final decision. Our people are already experiencing a mounting onslaught of loss and damage caused by climate change. We heard widespread recognition of this injustice, yet there was a failure to address it. Ensuring our communities are supported in addressing the loss and damage that the climate crisis inflicts on them remains a top priority.

While we are disappointed about loss and damage, there is now recognition and the start of dialogue on finance as a COP decision. This is a big step and we look forward to ensuring the next goal reflects the actual needs of vulnerable developing countries, based on science. We were also pleased with progress made on the Global Goal for Adaptation.

We are encouraged by the commitment made by developed countries in Glasgow to double the provision of finance for adaptation by 2025. The needs of our countries and communities to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change outstrips even this commitment, but it is progress.

In Glasgow, we have fought hard to ensure market mechanisms deliver true environmental gains, while also supporting vulnerable countries to meet their adaptation costs. The remaining carbon budget does not have space to carry forward old emission reductions credits, and we are disappointed the rules do not reflect this.

This next year will be critical in setting the trajectory for the decade. Increased ambition in mitigation,  adaptation, and climate finance remains an urgent priority. We are running out of time and the work is not yet done.”