World leaders, heads of business and civil society members will descend on the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheikh on Sunday for the United Nations Climate Conference (COP27). After a year of extreme weather that brought home the reality of the climate crisis for many, there is some hope that delegates will make real progress in the effort to prevent a climate catastrophe.
Yet, with global greenhouse gas emissions back to pre-pandemic levels, and inflation and conflict dominating the international agenda, there are questions about whether a breakthrough is possible. So, what is expected to happen in Egypt, and where is progress expected to be made? Read on to find out.
What are the Conferences of the Parties (COPs)?
At a landmark environmental conference in Rio De Janeiro in 1992, three conventions were set up: one on biodiversity, one on desertification and one on climate change. Each of these conventions has a yearly Conference of the Parties, or COP, which sees signatory countries meet to assess progress and figure out how to move forward collectively. COP27 is the 27th on climate change; the first one was held in Berlin 1995. The upcoming gathering will see 197 countries represented in Egypt, all of whom have signed the Paris Agreement.
How are climate deals negotiated?
Work to reach agreements takes place mainly among negotiators, including government ministers, with observer organizations attending to bring transparency to the talks. Central to this is a process where countries decide how much to reduce their national greenhouse gas emissions each year and submit these in the form of nationally determined contributions, which they have agreed to revise every five years.
What is expected to happen at COP27?
Given COP27 is being held in Africa, it is expected that the role of climate finance, adaptation ambition, and implementation will be central to discussions, along with tackling what negotiators call “loss and damage”. Loss and damage refer to the consequences of the climate crisis that go beyond what people can adapt to or when options exist, but a community does not have the resources to use them. Examples include damage from cyclones or drought, or permanent damage from rising sea levels or the drying up of rivers.
Are any firm commitments expected?
Finance will play an important role in Sharm El Sheikh. Parties are expected to review progress on the goal to channel US$100 billion a year to developing countries grappling with the climate crisis, a pledge that was made in 2009 at COP15 in Copenhagen. They will also discuss a post-2025 finance goal. A number of bilateral and private sector agreements are also expected to be announced in order to enhance the implementation of climate action and to shift climate finance into the trillions.
Helping countries to adapt to the climate crisis will also be on the agenda. Why is that important?
A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) finds that the world will need more than US$300 billion per year by 2030 to deal with the effects of the climate crisis, which include droughts, rising seas and more severe storms. Adapting to the climate crisis will be an especially heavy burden for developing countries.
The Global Goal on Adaptation was established under the Paris Agreement to build adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to the climate crisis so that the most vulnerable communities around the world can adapt. It is expected that parties will discuss this goal in Egypt and the need to increase climate finance towards adaptation outcomes and enhanced resilience.
Will anything concrete arise from these talks?
As is clear from rising greenhouse gas emissions and climate-induced disasters, there is a gap between promises and on-the-ground action. So it is expected that parties will make decisions in Egypt that support the rapid implementation of real climate action.
Follow UNEP’s COP27 Latest Updates for more information.
UNEP is at the front in support of the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the global temperature rise well below 2°C and aiming - to be safe - for 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels. To do this, UNEP has developed a Six-Sector Solution roadmap to reducing emissions across sectors in line with the Paris Agreement commitments and in pursuit of climate stability. The six sectors are Energy; Industry; Agriculture and Food; Forests and Land Use; Transport, and Buildings and Cities. The UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November 2022 will focus on adaptation, finance and a just transition – and you can do your part by acting now on your own consumption or speaking up to voice your concerns.
