Climate Finance must include communities most impacted by climate change

News | June 10, 2024

NEW YORK CITY, New York, June 10, 2024. At the Conference of States Parties (COSP) today, CBM Global joined the Climate Investment Fund, World Bank, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Global Disability Innovation Hub to discuss the importance of disability inclusive climate finance. The session focused on the need to ensure that climate action and financial strategies consider and include the needs and capacities of people with disabilities, especially those from communities most affected by climate change.

David Bainbridge, Executive Director of CBM Global, emphasized the organisation’s commitment to inclusive climate action:

“Central to CBM Global’s work in climate justice is partnership with organisations of people with disabilities and communities most impacted. Governments will come together in September to agree a vision for future development. COP29 will take place later in the year with climate finance on the agenda. People with disabilities and their representative organisations need to be part of these processes at the decision making tables and not on the outside of them.”

Kirsty Smith, CEO of CBM UK, the CBM Global federation member that holds the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) status for the federation, highlighted:

“It was great to see representatives of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office speaking to the critical issue of disability inclusive climate finance. Climate change affects everyone – but disproportionately affects some more than others. There is a strong link between disability and poverty, and the barriers faced by persons with disabilities are further exacerbated by climate change especially those living in low income countries. These barriers include accessing mitigation and adaptation efforts and services – as well as the finance to resolve their specific needs. Governments must engage and fully embrace a disability-rights approach across its response to climate change.

At CBM UK we have been encouraged that the UK Government has acknowledged the need for disability inclusive climate action within their Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy. We look forward to supporting the FCDO, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero as well as other departments towards the goal of ensuring full and meaningful engagement of persons with disabilities within their climate response.”

In case you missed it, you can watch the event here.

To read more about CBM Global Federation’s climate advocacy roadmap, click here.

You can find CBM UK’s work on disability inclusive climate action here.

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