The powerful earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6 have caused a human tragedy; at the time of writing, over 11000 people have been confirmed dead and the toll is likely to rise. The human cost will be accompanied by vast economic damage, the scale of which will take time to become clear.
With negotiations extending into the weekend amid fears of a stalemate, COP27 delegates finally agreed to set up a fund to help pay for losses and damages brought on by climate change. This fund relieves the fiscal burden on poorer nations recovering from natural disasters.
Concerns about energy security and extreme weather events support the case to accelerate the development of renewable sources of energy and pursue further action against climate change. COP27 is expected to build on the momentum generated by COP26, but progress has been underwhelming.
