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A Brief Note On Climate Justice And Accountability

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Climate Justice and Accountability One portion of the Paris Agreement that will be critical to uphold is the $100 billion pledge from developed countries to developing countries to combat the effects of climate change. Specifically, this pledge would provide compensation for the millions of people a year who are displaced from their homes because of natural disasters, the overwhelming majority being from developing countries. The promise will increase to $600 billion by 2025 but does little to counter the estimated $1.7 trillion price tag in economic damage to developing countries in the form of droughts, floods, hurricanes, and agricultural loss. The pledge also does not indicate how funds would be distributed and whether or not …show more content…

Kivalina citizens sought to recover monetary damages of up to $400 million for the cost of relocating the entire village as a result of what they describe as the “defendants’ past and ongoing contributions to global warming" (Complaint For Damages). Unfortunately, the court declined to hear the case because of “indistinct accountability”. Many indigenous communities have taken action against impending climate change on their own. The Quinault Indian Nation, located at the mouth of the Quinault River on the outer coast of Washington 's Olympic Peninsula, has developed a $60 million plan to move the community, raising awareness through the nonprofit First Stewards. The Quinault Nation developed a climate adaptation and mitigation strategy to adapt to rising sea levels and warming water and hopes to collaborate across agencies to bring awareness to their situation. Both examples illustrate the unique challenges climate change creates for indigenous people and traditional ways of life. As sovereign nations, these indigenous communities have the power to adopt or ratify climate agreements without the approval of the United States which would alter the protections afforded to them. There is also the potential that members would be considered refugees rather than internally displaced persons, if they are forced out of traditional tribe borders. Despite the fact that communities across the world have been effected by human-caused climate change, there is little

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