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When it comes to extreme weather as a result of climate change, certain countries in the world are more affected than others. And it's not the countries that bear the most responsibility for causing climate change, either. In fact, it's quite the opposite: the vast majority of damage caused by extreme weather events can be directly attributed to a few of the richest countries in the world.
But until now, the countries that bear the most responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions have not been held accountable. However, that may be about to change. Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
Indeed, 2024 saw a significant number of extreme weather events. In various climate vulnerable countries, floods, heat waves, and storms have caused devastating destruction.
One country that receives little attention for being climate vulnerable is Pakistan. Yet in recent years, Pakistan has faced a huge amount of climate-related damage.
In 2022, for example, the country was hit with unprecedented monsoon rains that claimed the lives of more than 1,500 people and caused economic damages exceeding US$30 billion.
The link between greenhouse gas emissions and extreme weather events is well established, and, at the going rate, things are only going to get worse.
Given that the countries most affected by climate change are generally not those most responsible for emissions, many people are beginning to wonder whether the world’s biggest polluters should be expected to pay for the damage they have caused.
Indeed, the topic of who should foot the bill for climate damages and losses is becoming a major issue, and it will be continued to be discussed during international governmental meetings to come.
If geopolitical leaders make a decision to hold the world’s polluters to account and make them pay for the damage they’ve caused, this could be done on many levels.
The first, and perhaps most obvious move, would be to charge the governments of the countries that are responsible for the most emissions.
According to a 2024 study from Dartmouth College, the US is the largest historical emitter, costing the world more than US$1.9 trillion in climate damages between 1990 and 2014.
Rounding out the top five countries responsible for causing the most damage are China, Russia, India, and Brazil, which collectively cost the world US$4.1 trillion over the same period.
Various climate vulnerable countries have called for the United Nations to set up a loss and damage finance facility under its Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The idea is that the biggest polluter countries would pay into the fund in line with their fair share, which would be calculated based on their historical and ongoing emissions.
Unsurprisingly, the countries that would be required to pay into such a fund have strongly resisted proposals for its setup.
That is not to say that the option is completely out of the question, however. Certainly, having the UNFCCC run the fund would help ensure its accountability and transparency.
Another option would be to hold fossil fuel companies to account for their contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Indeed, according to a 2017 report from the CDP, there are just 100 fossil fuel companies that have collectively been responsible for 71% of global emissions since 1988.
One way to make these companies accountable would be to force them to contribute to a polluters-pay climate fund.
The money collected by the fund could be used to help climate vulnerable countries get back on their feet after a natural disaster and absorb the costs of transitioning to clean energy.
Another way to force fossil fuel companies to make good on their debts would be to introduce an international tax on fossil fuel extraction.
This solution has been proposed by a coalition of climate vulnerable countries, who suggest that such a tax could raise billions of dollars to help countries rebuild after extreme weather disasters.
Already, some governments are looking into introducing a tax on the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies that are benefiting from high energy prices.
The idea is that some of the revenue generated by that tax could be put towards helping countries recover after extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods.
The problem with this solution in the long run is that windfall taxes on fossil fuel companies are only ever expected to be temporary.
Moreover, when you consider that many governments have committed to phasing out fossil fuels anyway, it seems clear other sources of money will be needed to pay for climate damages.
Another option could be to tax industries that use a lot of fossil fuels, such as aviation and bunker shipping.
By extension, it may even be possible to tax individuals who engage in high-emission behaviors, such as flying and eating red meat.
Indeed, the most destructive behaviors are usually associated with the lifestyle of a small proportion of the world’s population who have a high income.
For example, just 1% of the global population is responsible for 50% of global emissions, yet 90% of people in the world have never boarded a plane.
Some experts have called for an airline travel levy, which would increase with each flight the passenger takes.
In many ways, this would be a fair and sustainable way to recoup some of the funds needed to help climate vulnerable countries pay the damages caused by other countries’ pollution.
Sources: (BBC) (CDP)
See also: Cities that will be least impacted by climate change
Pollution, the biggest unpaid debt in the world
Should polluters be held to account for climate damages?
LIFESTYLE Climate change
When it comes to extreme weather as a result of climate change, certain countries in the world are more affected than others. And it's not the countries that bear the most responsibility for causing climate change, either. In fact, it's quite the opposite: the vast majority of damage caused by extreme weather events can be directly attributed to a few of the richest countries in the world.
But until now, the countries that bear the most responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions have not been held accountable. However, that may be about to change. Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.