The ICRC’s call to COP28: Urgent and ambitious action is needed to mitigate climate change and strengthen climate action in conflict settings

Countries enduring armed conflict and other violence – the vast majority of which are among the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) – are some of the most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Ahead of COP28, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urges parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the governing bodies of the Conference of Parties (COP) to make three commitments to ensure that people living in conflict settings are not left behind:

• First, recommit to urgent and ambitious political action to reduce emissions and keep warming within a habitable range to avoid the worst consequences of climate change on people.
• Second, acknowledge conflict-affected countries’ high vulnerability to climate risks due to their limited adaptive capacity.
• Third, live up to international commitments to bolster climate action in countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change by ensuring climate action is strengthened and supported by fit-for-purpose, accessible finance in countries enduring conflict and violence.