COP26: Scotland wins Climate Action Network's 'Ray of the Day' award for creating £1 million fund for developing countries hit worst by climate change

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a £1 million fund yesterday, which will help developing countries deal with “loss and damage” from climate change.

Climate Action Network (CAN) celebrated Scotland for the action, and also awarded India with a ‘Ray of the Day’ certificate for its commitment to meet 50% of its renewable energy requirements by 2030.

However, not all countries were celebrated – Norway, Japan and Australia all received the ‘Fossil of the Day’ award, which is given to the countries that CAN believes are “doing the most to achieve the least on climate change”.

Responding to the news that Scotland has won 'Ray of the Day', Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “Scotland is a deserving winner of this award given the Scottish Government's pioneering recognition that funding to help certain people adapt to the climate crisis is utterly useless when their entire community has been wiped off the map.

“The First Minister's announcement of a dedicated new fund for loss and damage is a welcome acknowledgement that for some communities around the world, talk of limiting the damage of climate change has come far, far too late. In many places, climate change has already caused irreversible damage to people’s homes, lives and livelihoods. Despite this grim truth, world leaders have continued to duck calls to establish a new funding mechanism for loss and damage. Other countries must now follow Scotland’s lead and offer dedicated financial support to countries where lives have already been lost and ruined because of climate change.”

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