Dr Olivia Serdeczny

Research Analyst

Climate Science and Impacts

Dr Olivia Serdeczny is research analyst at Climate Analytics. She provides scientific advice to the Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, with a particular focus on loss and damage. Together with Bill Hare and John Schellnhuber (PIK) she initiated the World Bank's “Turn Down the Heat” series of reports.

Before joining Climate Analytics, Olivia worked as a research analyst to Professor Schellnhuber (PIK) for the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). She holds a PhD in Geography from the Humboldt Universität Berlin. Her research focused on the use of science in climate negotiations, and how to avoid injustice towards developing countries in light of loss and damage evidence gaps.

Publications

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The loss and damage fund must be accessible to those it was set up to serve – the most vulnerable to climate change

The board of the 'Fund for responding to Loss and Damage' has diverging views on accessibility. We look at lessons from similar funds and options currently on the table.

How countries can report loss and damage finance needs

Drawing lessons from the Caribbean, we take a look at where, how and why to report on loss and damage finance needs, the types of costs that can be reported and what makes an event ‘climate-related'.

Safeguards and exit points for the World Bank as host of the Loss and Damage Fund

An agreement was reached to establish the World Bank as the interim host of the Loss and Damage Fund. Developing countries signed up to this on certain conditions. We unpack the safeguards put in place and look at the three points at which the Fund could exit the World Bank.

Drone’s view the day after a typhoon in Malapascua Island Philippines

Loss and damage: two options in play for fund’s makeup

There are currently two options on the table for the loss and damage fund’s structure – ‘programmatic’ and ‘responsive’. We reflect on the pros and cons of each.

Flooding during a heavy monsoon in the Philippines in July 2021

Second Glasgow Dialogue: lessons from latest Committee meeting on loss and damage finance

Key takeaways from the Transitional Committee’s second meeting on operationalising the new loss and damage fund and funding arrangements.

Tropical storm damage in the Indian Ocean

Four things to know from the first workshop on the loss and damage fund

The Transitional Committee held its first workshop on how to set up the new loss and damage fund — here’s our take on the key funding gaps and solutions that emerged at the meeting.

2023 will shape the Loss and Damage fund for years to come – have your say now

Final decisions on a new Loss and Damage fund to help vulnerable countries recover from climate impacts will be made at COP28 in December. Here’s what you need to know about how the fund will be designed over the coming year.

COP26. UNCCC 2021. Flickr/UNclimatechange

Facing the facts – the need for loss and damage finance can no longer be denied

This article takes stock of the Loss and Damage negotiations at COP26, concluding that the need for developed countries to provide Loss and Damage financial support can and will no longer be ignored.

From left: Olivia Serdeczny, Marina Adrijevic, Nicole van Maanen, Emily Theokritoff and Shruti Nath

International Women’s Day: climate scientists who happen to be women

A year into COVID-19 restrictions, and the world has changed dramatically. Ahead of this year's International Women's Day, we spoke to some our scientists about their research, progressing their PhDs in a pandemic, and how they experience their gender in their work.

Progress on Loss and Damage in Katowice

As far as Loss and Damage is concerned, the Katowice climate talks delivered a solid outcome. Developing countries were calling for the inclusion of Loss and Damage in the transparency framework and the Global Stocktake. We can now say: they succeeded.

Good news! Loss & damage in the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C

Small Island Developing States had long been calling for the inclusion of information on loss and damage. Were they heard by the authors of the newly published Special Report on 1.5°C?

In Bangkok, many developing countries argued that loss and damage should be considered.

Loss and damage in the Paris Agreement rule book – state of play

In Bangkok, building on consistent calls at negotiation sessions since Paris in December 2015, many developing countries argued that loss and damage should be systematically considered in this context. How did that go?

About us

Decarbonisation targets and 1.5℃ pathways

Comment

Dr Olivia Serdeczny

Publications

Comment

The loss and damage fund must be accessible to those it was set up to serve – the most vulnerable to climate change

How countries can report loss and damage finance needs

Safeguards and exit points for the World Bank as host of the Loss and Damage Fund

Loss and damage: two options in play for fund’s makeup

Second Glasgow Dialogue: lessons from latest Committee meeting on loss and damage finance

Four things to know from the first workshop on the loss and damage fund

2023 will shape the Loss and Damage fund for years to come – have your say now

Facing the facts – the need for loss and damage finance can no longer be denied

International Women’s Day: climate scientists who happen to be women

Progress on Loss and Damage in Katowice

Good news! Loss & damage in the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C

Loss and damage in the Paris Agreement rule book – state of play