COP is the decision making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or UNFCCC. The summit is attended by countries that have signed the UNFCCC, which is an agreement that came into force in 1994. Signed by 198 countries, the goal is to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions.
The importance of COP27
The conference will bring governments together to increase global efforts to fight the climate crisis (UNFCCC, n.d.). The latest science shows that climate change is moving faster than we are, pushing our ecosystems and communities to their limits which highlights the importance of COP27. This year’s summit takes place in the Red Sea town of Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Around 90 heads of state have confirmed their attendance so far, as was confirmed by a senior Egyptian official this week. It is expected that world leaders and representatives from more than 190 countries will attend the summit (Limb, 2022). COP27 matters because it provides the time and space for world leaders to carefully think about the latest climate science and enact change which can only be achieved collaboratively. Read about COP26 to understand its goals at the time and how they translated into action last year.
Summary: What to expect at COP27
Let’s outline what you can expect from the conference this year.
1. Days in themes
Clear deliverables are significant to achieve the temperature goals of the Paris agreement. By structuring the discussions within different thematic days, a wide range of subjects will be taken into consideration to ensure their full and effective engagement. The theme include:
- Finance
- Science
- Youth & Future Generations
- Decarbonization
- Adaptation & Agriculture
- Gender
- Water
- Ace & Civil Society
- Energy
- Biodiversity
- Solutions
2. Human rights issues
In preparation of COP27, human rights issues have been highlighted by the media. Critics have shared their doubts and concerns about Egypt as a host city, so it’s safe to say that we can expect themes that extend beyond the greenhouse gas emissions to be taken into consideration in the climate summit. We’re interested to see how the host city and COP as a whole will navigate through these issues.
3. Mitigation - Keep the 1.5°C target alive
As of December 2015, world leaders adopted the “Paris agreement” at COP21. A commitment to keep global warming below 2°C, above pre-industrial levels and preferably limit warming to 1.5 °C. As of now, we are unfortunately not on track to hit this goal. However, it is possible that we’ll see some more great commitments as world leaders accelerate their climate plans to meet the urgency to fight climate change.
This year, we can definitely expect the implementation of the Glasgow pact call to review initiatives in NDC’s (climate targets for mitigating GHG), and create a work program to aim on mitigation.
4. Adaption and Finance based targets
As opposed to mitigation, which is action to prevent further climate change, adaptation refers to the way the world changes in response to the effects of climate change. Extreme weather events have become the everyday reality of our lives. Adapting to loss and damage from climate catastrophes make finance flow a reality. It’s clear that this year’s targets are based around climate finance as well (COP27 Official, n.d.).
5. Political relations
COP27 has a crucial role to play in climate justice for Africa. The climate summit puts Egypt at centerstage to advocate Africa's energy transition and fight for its climate priorities. Governments ultimately need to work together to transform the way in which we interact with our planet. However, the world remains vulnerable due to COVID and the war in Ukraine. It’s an uneasy geopolitical time to gather world’s climate leaders, nonetheless, at Regreener we are hopeful that COP27 will inspire a sense of unity to achieve one common goal: to fight for our one and only planet.
Conclusion
This year’s COP is filled with global climate action through emissions reduction, scaled-up adaptation efforts and enhanced flows of appropriate finance. We’re excited for this year’s COP and the opportunities that it presents for navigating global corporations and climate action. Stay tuned for the key outcomes over the course of this year’s COP, we’ll make sure to report them and keep you up to date!
At COP27, we anticipate a focus on solutions, adaptation, and scientific advancements. Check out our blog on innovative sustainable trends to get an idea of what might emerge in the future in the fight against climate change.
