As global leaders argue amongst themselves in Bonn, we stand ready to help people at the frontlines of the climate crisis as they take matters into their own hands.

Like many of our supporters here in the UK, we at World Jewish Relief continue to be deeply concerned about the climate crisis. As COP-26 wound down, the media spotlight understandably moved on to other crises; the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis and sky-high fuel prices, to name a few. But as a charity that supports people in Ukraine, the UK, and in many countries at the highest risk of catastrophic climate changes, we are acutely aware that all these crises are interconnected.

People that we support in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal have been hit by the same price increases for their basic goods, including food, seeds, and fuel. But this disruption comes on top of flooding, droughts, salinisation, sea level rise, and more climate-related changes.

We therefore watched carefully as global leaders met this month in Bonn, in the latest attempt to advance progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and securing finance for developing countries to cope with climate change impacts. But two weeks of technical deliberations have resulted in little tangible change. Most concerning for us at World Jewish Relief is that the $100 billion a year in adaptation finance for developing countries (which was due in 2020) has still not been met, and that wealthier nations have again rejected requests to establish a special funding facility for developing nations.

This stalemate stands in stark contrast to the work that our partner charities are doing at the frontlines of the climate crisis. For example, in Bangladesh, ISDE is campaigning to end fossil fuel exploitation and promote alternative energy sources, despite the country’s much smaller contribution to global emissions than many of the western countries that have turned to fossil fuels in the wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile in Myanmar, SDF is raising awareness with displaced communities about climate-related changes that are coming, and how to prepare for them.

If you too are infuriated by the slow pace of global geopolitics on this most urgent issue, please consider supporting us as we ensure that local communities have the resources they need to cope with this crisis that they did not cause. Donate today.