On November 20th, 2022 at the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27), it was announced that a loss and damage fund will be utilized for countries at the forefront of the climate crisis. But what does this mean, and is this fund a truly “ground-breaking decision?” 

Stillbirths are a “neglected tragedy,” with one occurring every 16 seconds worldwide on average. A recent Nature Communications article suggests that almost one million stillbirths are associated with air pollution every year, reiterating the globally pervasive consequences that the climate crisis has on health.  

On November 15, 2022, the global population reached 8 billion people. While reaching this landmark is associated with improved public health, nutrition, and medicine, there remains concern that the growing population exacerbates vulnerability to the climate crisis, and threatens sustainable development.