November 2022 was memorable for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. The many debates, discussions, and contradictions that arose during the sessions ended with an agreement to compensate poorer countries for the devastating effects of rising global temperatures. However, several countries expressed concern that the COP27 resolutions on mitigation may not be sufficient to “keep 1.5°C alive.” We discussed the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Change Conference conclusions with several international climate experts. Check out their opinions below.
Key Takeaways:
- The Loss and Damage Fund, agreed at COP27, aims to provide financial assistance to those nations most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change.
- Countries reaffirmed their commitment to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius although more and more expert voices state that this is becoming impossible.
- “COP27 is the sign of a new horizon for humankind to have a healthy and safe living future environment,” some experts believed while others affirmed that “The COP sessions continue to add more to greenhouse gas emissions than they reduce”.
DevelopmentAid: What is your opinion of the COP27 resolutions agreed this year? Which areas/topics/aspects failed to be addressed in your opinion?
“After three decades of discussion and negotiation, it was finally agreed at COP27 to establish a Loss and Damage Fund where the larger developed countries (and biggest emitters/polluters) contribute funds to help the smaller developing countries (the lowest emitters) to adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, this is to be voluntary and not based on any assessment of liability. It is yet to be determined where the funds will come from and how they will be managed or distributed. It is hoped the World Bank will take more of a leadership and co-ordinating role for all the financial institutions. It is also hoped that the Green Climate Fund can be made less complex and more accessible by offering more grants to developing countries rather than debt-ridden loans. Vanuatu was instrumental in leading a group of Pacific Island countries to get enough signatories for a UN Resolution to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice to provide a legal opinion to acknowledge the impacts of climate change on human rights. This will add weight to the concept of the larger-emitting developed countries accepting responsibility by providing compensation to the small-emitting developing island countries. The major failure was the inability of many countries to accept that their current emissions targets (NDCs) would not achieve the 1.5C goal by 2030. Even worse, some countries attempted to renege on this deal made at COP26 under the Paris Agreement. Apparently, there were more fossil fuel lobbyists at COP27 than delegates from the Pacific islands! While the fossil fuel companies continue to make obscene profits it will be extremely difficult to convince the bigger emitting Governments and industries to transition more quickly to renewable energy, biofuels and de-carbonisation programs at a rate that will meet the 1.5C target by 2030. This goal may not yet be physically impossible to achieve, but COP27 has shown it is almost politically impossible.”
“We believe COP27 is the sign of a new horizon for humankind to have a healthy and safe living future environment. It will bring an effective platform of common interest for civil society, youth, scientists and development activists around the world. COP27 has advanced in a number of significant directions through the consensus of world leaders at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. We saw many good decisions concerning intergovernmental dialogue but I feel the scope should not only be integration within a country but at regional and global levels as well because the outcomes are actually a global issue. I expect one of the clauses to include a Central Monitoring Unit for the national, regional and global platform to assess actual loss and damage, measuring the adaptation gap and the mitigation gap, and preparing an action plan to bring about real changes and resilience. A specific direction and concrete work plan on community engagement, the active roles of civil society and concerned stakeholders are essential to achieve the desired goal. To achieve the Net Zero target by 2030 and get the expected result, a Transparency and Accountability Commission for Climate Fund utilization should be considered. I think that a simple release of funds will not bring any actual changes; the proper implementation of adaptation and resilience measures through real participation of the affected communities, community engagement and the activities of civil society against the climate challenges, adaptation and resilience to the impact are very important for humankind. So, split the fund into 5 or 6 phases and release the next fund based on the results achieved.”
“The acknowledgment of the need for the Loss and Damage fund at this COP was the major accomplishment. However, we still need to define attribution, or what precisely constitutes a loss or damage caused by climate change, even though we understand and now accept that such losses and damages do occur. For example, with regard to water resources, freshwater resources are depleting due to climate change – decreased precipitation and contamination (from salinity intrusion) as well as from encroachment along rivers, and pollution. To distinguish between the degree of losses and damages that can be directly linked to climate change and those that are caused by the inadequate governance and management of water resources, such losses and damages of water resources need to be further defined. In order to ensure that essential water resource management is not hampered in the anticipation of loss and damage funding, I hope that more guidance on such matters is provided. Water is required for maintaining life and as a means of subsistence and, regardless of the cause of degradation, water resources need to be adequately managed.”
See also: COP27 outcomes: a historical deal on loss and damage and disappointment over mitigation
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