Ironically, the countries with the fewest greenhouse gas emissions are likely to be affected most by climate warming due to lower incomes and high economic vulnerability. Communities with the lowest incomes are expected to have a harder time recovering from severe weather and natural disasters due to limited finances and lack of resources.

Climate finances are the funds planned to be provided to the lowest-income, most vulnerable nations to aid in adapting to the environmental impacts of climate change. Funds like the Green Climate Fund were created as financial support systems that the lowest-income nations could draw from to develop resilient infrastructure and mitigation strategies. Alternative methods for climate finance include loans, export credits, and government donations. The pledge for $100 billion a year (by 2020) for developing nations has been discussed as a central issue since 2009.

Countries Affected by Climate Change

The lowest-income nations have economies that are the least capable of adapting to climate change’s effects. Dealing with decreases in crop yields and infrastructure damage as a result of climate change is more difficult in countries that have vulnerable economies because people in these regions tend to be more dependent on agriculture and other contributions from nature, such as fishing or logging. Increases in weather extremes could also threaten tourism in small island developing states.

Areas Least Affected by Climate Change

On the other hand, the countries most capable of adapting to climate change are those that have relatively high incomes and low economic vulnerability. These nations are more equipped to deal with climate destabilization than low-income countries with high economic vulnerability. This is because higher-income nations can afford to invest in net-zero transition projects, adaptation technologies, and more resilient infrastructure.

Least Developed Countries United Nations

The Conference of Parties (COP), established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is a convention of governmental representatives and scientific experts for discussing climate change. COP26 will be the next COP gathering and will take place November 2021, in Glasgow. World leaders participating in COP26 will discuss topics ranging from mitigation strategies to extensive economic reforms.

COP26 is an opportunity for relatively high-income nations to sort out the details of their pending commitments. They are the primary beneficiaries of fossil fuel use and are therefore liable for the consequences associated with climate destabilization. The territories that make up the Group of 20 (G20) generate more than half of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and make up most of the world’s gross domestic product. These nations then have the greatest responsibility to help support people in highly vulnerable regions and small island states.