UN Climate Change Conference: Battling climate crisis

The annual UN Climate Change Conference known as COP (Conference of Parties) will officially begin on Nov 6 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt amid concerns that action committed to isn’t enough to hold global temperature increase to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Extreme weather events across the world this year have highlighted the need for urgency. Urmi Goswami reports

Key concerns

• Mitigation/Emissions Reduction efforts not enough
• Several reports have warned current climate commitments are not enough
• Paris Agreement set a target of less than 2 degrees temp rise by century end
• UN’s ‘Emissions Gap Report 2022 warned of temp rise far above goals
• It warned of a global catastrophe

Action points

1. COP27 will focus on increasing efforts to reduce emissions rapidly, in line with the decision in Glasgow.
2. Outcomes of the Mitigation Work Programme that is focused on reducing emissions by 2030 will be critical
3. Countries expected to review their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)
4. The new commitments needed to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Other focus areas
Egypt has described COP27 as an implementation COP

Issues for inclusion

• Finance for Loss & Damage
• Adaptation finance

Developing countries represented by G-77 and China want these items to be included in the agenda

Loss and damage finance

• Loss and damage refer to the destructive impacts of climate change
• Developing countries have contributed the least to the problem of global warming
• But they suffer the most catastrophic impacts.
• Developing countries have asked for dedicated financial support from rich industrialised countries
• Led by G-77, they called for the setting up of a loss and damage finance facility.
• This was opposed by developed countries.
• As a compromise, a three-year Glasgow Dialogue was set up
• Developing countries want the issue to be taken up immediately

Watch out for: G77 & China, being led this year by Pakistan, which suffered devastating floods this summer.

Adaptation

• Adaptation refers to coping with the impacts of climate change
• At COP26 in Glasgow, countries agreed to double finance for adaptation
• A clear pathway will be among the issues tackled at COP27.
• Progress on developing the two-year Global Goal on Adaptation will be a priority issue

Difficult negotiations

• COP27 takes place at a difficult moment—climate, economy, and geopolitics
• Extreme weather events across the world this year
• The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought the issue of fossil fuel dependence into sharp focus.
• The energy crisis has meant reworking transition plans
• A food crisis has added to the problems confronting governments.
• The post-Covid 19 economic recovery has not been as robust
• Inflationary pressures across the globe.

What it means: Climate concerns could take backseat as countries grapple with issues