COP27 heralds ‘a new era of doing things differently’ |

The 27th United Nations Conference on Climate Change, COP27It must lead the world to implement agreed plans to meet humanity’s greatest challenge. This data is from Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Opening the event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Steele stressed that the start of sessions still marked the beginning of a “new era of doing differently”.

time change

Highlighting the difference with the most recent COP, the representative said that Paris had resulted in the agreement. Katowice and Glasgow come up with a plan and Sharm el-Sheikh is pushing the world toward implementation.

On this trip, he stated that “no one can just be a passenger”. In the plenary session of the Tonino Lamborghini International Conference Center, Steele stressed that participants are facing a “sign of changing times”.

He addressed leaders in particular, including presidents, prime ministers or chief executives, noting that they “will be held accountable for the promises made last year in Glasgow”.

The jury chair said the biggest reason was that policies, business, infrastructure and procedures, whether personal or public, should be in line with the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

keep promises

The agreement entered into force on March 21, 1994, to prevent “dangerous” human interference with the climate system. The document has been ratified by 198 countries and adherence to it is almost universal. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, serves as an extension of that agreement.

The current socio-economic and geopolitical situation is still considered “complex”. He points to COP27 as an opportunity to create a secure political space, shielded from everything that happens, to act and promote change in the world.

He warned of what he called “zero-sum games that have no winners” and that the effects of the negotiations would affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people suffering from the impact of climate change at the global level. He continues to stress that the world cannot “allow any neglect or obstruction” or threaten the future of future generations.

Nationally Determined Contributions

This Sunday, the participants adopted the agenda of discussions for the next two weeks at COP27. In the official opening, the Executive Secretary of the Coordination Committee emphasized the duty to accelerate international efforts in Sharm El-Sheikh, to turn words into action.

Sameh Shoukry, President of COP27, urged delegates to increase ambition

The conference will unfold on three lines. The first is to demonstrate a transformational shift towards implementation, turning negotiations into concrete actions. The second is to consolidate progress on key issues such as mitigation, adaptation, financing, and, crucially, loss and damage. Finally, business direction has been adopted to better comply with the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the process.

Unfccc revealed that 29 countries have already submitted stricter national climate plans since COP26, five more since the synthesis on their NDCs was published last week. Steele said another 170 countries have to “restore and strengthen their national pledges this year.”

new presidency

The chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission referred to the Glasgow Climate Charter, which was ratified at COP26 last year, by asking the signatories not to go back on their word. He still declares that they must fulfill their obligations and solidify them in Egypt where you will not be a “guardian of setbacks.”

Failure to take action is shortsighted and can only delay climate catastrophe

He stressed the need to put women and girls at the center of climate decisions and actions. For the committee chair, empowering these groups will lead to better judgment and better outcomes. Along the same lines, he highlighted the importance of civil society and youth organizations in the COP27 process.

Handing over the official opening session from the President of COP26, Alok Sharma, from the United Kingdom, to the current Egyptian leader, Sameh Shoukry.

Achievements in Glasgow last year include the finalization of the so-called Paris Agreement rule book, with guidelines on compliance and stronger financial commitments.

CO2 neutralization promises

Sharma highlighted the UN Secretary-General’s statement on “a common long-term future that does not include fossil fuels”.

For the COP26 chief, if all the commitments made last year, including promises to neutralize carbon dioxide, are implemented, the world will be on track to warming 1.7°C by the end of the century.

Alok Sharma was included in the achievements of COP26 in Glasgow

Sharma declared that progress is still on track to limit global warming to 1.5°C, realizing that the world faces a major challenge. He called on leaders to take action despite the current geopolitical issues.

Sharma stressed that in the face of the difficult moment, “inaction is shortsighted and can only postpone climate catastrophe” and called for the ability to focus on more than one task at the same time.

The urgency of the implementation

Sameh Shoukry, President of COP27, urged delegates to increase ambition and begin implementing commitments. The priority is to move from negotiations and promises to the era of implementation. He commended the performance of countries that have already participated in updated national climate plans.

Shoukry added that the $100 billion pledged for adaptation must be delivered from developed countries to developing countries, and that funding is the focus of discussion.

Pending “fruitful negotiations” in Sharm el-Sheikh, he urged participants to “listen carefully and commit to implementation and transform political commitments into agreements, understandings, texts and decisions” for public implementation.

It was the negotiators of the Group of 77 and China who introduced the “Loss and Damage” item, which was adopted as an agenda item at the conference.

Developing economies are often the hardest hit

The rationale is that because of climate change, which is reflected in extreme phenomena such as tropical cyclones, desertification, and sea level rise, the damage is costly to countries.

These disasters are exacerbated by the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, especially from rich industrial countries, and developing economies are usually the hardest hit and must get compensation.

The practical issue of ‘losses and damages’ will now be a major topic of discussion at COP27.