On 1st day, UN climate conference sets up fund for countries hit by disasters like flood and drought

By JAMEY KEATEN and SIBI ARASU
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nearly all the world’s nations finalized the creation of a fund to help compensate countries struggling to cope with loss and damage caused by climate change, seen as a major first-day breakthrough at this year’s U.N. climate conference as early cash started going into it. Sultan al-Jaber, the president of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, hailed “the first decision to be adopted on day one of any COP” — and his country, the United Arab Emirates — would chip in $100 million to the fund. Other countries stepped up with big-ticket commitments, including Germany, also at $100 million.