ABSTRACT
During the course of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) annual talks, nations have come together to negotiate over two main points: mitigation and adaptation. In recent years, the body adopted a work stream to understand better the consequences beyond these two goals or, minimally, when adaptation is not enough. The work stream of Loss and Damage came about to investigate both economic and non-economic losses beyond adaptation. The consideration of non-economic loss is a new topic, as much of the talks tend to centre around the economic consequences of changes to development policy. However, Loss and Damage has a great potential to consider and institute recommendations (and subsequent agreements) that deal with the ethical responsibilities the world has to those who have and will lose the most as a result of anthropogenic climate processes. In many cases, non-economic loss will cut deep into basic human rights, especially for those who will lose their entire nation to the rising seas. This chapter will provide an overview of the conception and development of the Loss and Damage work stream, identify three rights that will be in jeopardy due to climatic changes, and evaluate the work streams' ethical responsibility and prospective capability to handle such losses.
