The climate crisis is no longer a future threat; instead, it is on our doorsteps. From wildfires in the American west, terrible floods in Pakistan, persistent drought in the Horn of Africa, intense heat waves in parts of Asia and South America, the climate crisis is already taking a deadly and costly toll. And it is the communities and individuals that have done the very least to contribute to climate change that are paying with their lives and livelihoods.

We are writing to demand that the Biden administration commit to establish a fund that will help frontline communities in the Global South respond to the effects of the climate crisis at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP27 in November. The responsibility and obligation of nations like the United States is clear, as the United States is not only the world’s wealthiest nation but also the single largest historical contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. The United States claims to be a climate champion, but it has consistently blocked progress on Loss & Damage for years, most recently as one of the only countries opposing the establishment of a Loss and Damage fund.

We demand the Biden administration stop blocking progress on negotiations on Loss and Damage finance within the UNFCCC process and to work constructively to advance a pathway for a Loss and Damage Finance Facility at COP27. It is now time to move beyond talk to action. Another year of failure and delay as people are losing their lives and livelihoods or facing devastating food and water shortages is not an option.

The success of COP27 depends crucially on richer, polluting nations like the United States owning up to their fair share and ramping up climate finance as well as demonstrating a clear willingness to address Loss and Damage in a meaningful way. People on the frontlines of the climate crisis around the world deserve no less.