News and Events

The Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), under the leadership of its Board and in collaboration with the United Nations Secretary-General, convened its inaugural High-Level Dialogue (HLD) on the margins of the 2025 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C. The HLD, which ran under the theme “Strengthening Responses to Loss and Damage through Complementarity, Coherence and Coordination”, followed a decision taken at the Fund’s fourth Board meeting to launch the Dialogue process to operationalize the Fund’s mandate as a global coordination platform across funding arrangements

UN Climate Change News, 6 May 2024 – The Board of the fund for responding to loss and damage wrapped up its historic first meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, last week.

The meeting marks a significant step forward for the fund, which was operationalized at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference last December – driven by the work of the secretariat-supported Transitional Committee earlier in 2023. Prior to the opening of the meeting, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President and UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change, addressed the nominated members of the Board.

Developing countries have long pushed for a loss and damage fund to help counter the effects of climate change. As steps are taken to have the fund operationalized, South Africa has been called on to step up and help ensure that Africa’s needs are met.

Participants from the High level dialogue of the FRLD, discuss how we can enhance coordination and coherence among stakeholders to effectively address the challenges associated with loss and damage.

On the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund–The World Bank Bank Spring Meetings, the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) convened its inaugural High-Level Dialogue, bringing together global leaders, multilateral institutions, and civil society to tackle one of the most urgent challenges of our time: climate-induced loss and damage.

Key outcomes from the dialogue

1️⃣ Commitments to streamline access to climate finance and reduce funding fragmentation
2️⃣ Strong calls for agility, speed, and locally led solutions in climate response
3️⃣ Powerful interventions from leaders across the globe, including Ministers from Pakistan, South Africa, Germany, and COP29 Presidency

The Fund for responding to Loss and Damage is now ready to accept contributions after the signing of key documents. The Fund will serve as a lifeline by providing critical and urgent support for those impacted by the devastating consequences of climate change. With this important milestone reached, the Fund is now expected to start financing projects in 2025.

The loss and damage fund is more than a financial tool; it is a testament to our shared humanity and more resources are essential

The U.N. climate summit in Azerbaijan has cleared the way for aid to flow when lower-income countries are hit.

In an interview with Malacañang Press Briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez, Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, the inaugural Executive Director of the Board of the FRLD, praised President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his vision and dedication to the climate fund’s success.

2025 marks the year the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage is set to become fully operational. Against this backdrop, ODI’s Global Risks and Resilience Team on 12 February welcomed the Fund’s first Executive Director, Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong. Mr. Diong joined Dr. Emily Wilkinson to discuss his pragmatic vision for what is needed to respond effectively to loss and damage, the key challenges that lie ahead for the Fund's first year of operationalisation, and the critical action and frameworks needed to ensure that the developing nations which suffer the most from climate impacts, receive the resources they urgently need. Experts from NGOs, civil society organisations, think-tanks, universities and philanthropies took part in the discussion at ODI Global’s London hub.

Some African countries lose an average of 2 to 5% of their gross domestic product to manage climate emergencies... Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director of the Loss and Damage Response Fund, a crucial mechanism established at COP28 in Dubai to financially support the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, came to present the objectives of this fund.

Today, the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) held its inaugural High-Level Dialogue on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, convened under the leadership of the FRLD Board and in coordination with the United Nations Secretary-General.

The FRLD represents an opportunity to reimagine how climate finance can work better for countries already experiencing the extreme impacts of climate change.

FRLD signs partnership with Santiago Network as a means to streamlining support, sharing knowledge, and coordinating delivery for addressing loss and damage.