In 2023 we’ve seen climate destruction in real time, yet rich countries are poised to do little at Cop28 | Saleemul Huq and Farhana Sultana

As another big climate conference looms and global loss and damage' takes hold, we must keep pressure on the biggest emitters

Prof Saleemul Huq died on 28 October, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was 71. This is his final piece of writing

Prof Saleemul Huq OBE and I wrote and submitted this article before his untimely death on Saturday 28 October, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Huq was a visionary and steadfast leader on climate justice, a champion of developing countries at climate negotiations, an advocate for the global poor, and a source of inspiration to thousands worldwide. He continually pushed for loss and damage" measures, whereby the nations that emit the bulk of greenhouse gasses help address the needs of lower-emitting nations who nonetheless bear the brunt of the climate crisis. A loss and damage fund was finally achieved at Cop27, but it needs strong advocates to ensure it is followed and expanded.

His sudden death is a blow to the global south, and to all those who work towards climate justice. Here, we touch on our concerns for the upcoming Cop28 summit, and the future of the loss and damage project, and call for greater concerted efforts on climate accountability. Farhana Sultana

Farhana Sultana is a professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in New York

Saleemul Huq was the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent University, Bangladesh