"LONDON - As King Charles prepares for his coronation this weekend, a study has highlighted the economic impact of climate change on the Commonwealth group of countries he heads as Britain's monarch - and revealed stark inequality within the bloc.

Under current global climate policies, Commonwealth nations face a median 63% hit to their GDP by the end of the century, according to the charity Christian Aid.

And poorer Commonwealth members will be the hardest-hit economically although richer countries emit far more planet-warming emissions, underlining the need for the 'loss and damage' fund agreed at COP27 last year to start operating, the charity said.

For example, emissions per capita of the wealthiest four Commonwealth nations - Australia, Britain, Canada and New Zealand - at 41.1 tons of CO2, is 23 times larger than the figure for 10 least emitting countries combined - at 1.8 tons.

In a speech on Commonwealth Day in March, Charles highlighted "climate change and biodiversity loss" among "the most pressing issues of our time", calling for joint action with Commonwealth countries."

Jack Graham reports for Thomson Reuters Foundation May 4, 2023. [2]