NEW YORK — The board of an international fund for responding to climate damages selected its first director over the weekend, marking an important step toward finalizing the program later this year.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, a Senegalese and American national, will serve as executive director of the so-called Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage starting Nov. 1, just ahead of the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan, according to an announcement by the United Nations.
Countries agreed on a deal to get the fund running on the first day of climate talks last year in the United Arab Emirates, a historic win for developing countries that have long sought payments for unstoppable damages wrought by global warming. More than $650 million in country pledges quickly flowed in to get the fund started, but far more will be needed to help cover the estimated losses from climate-influenced disasters.
Diong, who will serve a four-year term, said he was honored to take the role at a time when climate change is threatening lives and livelihoods, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.
