The 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began on Sunday in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Picture: Cop27
Sharm El-Sheikh – The 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began on Sunday in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian foreign minister and president of COP27, said during the opening press conference that he was pleased to see the parties agreed to introduce loss and damage funding as an agenda item, adding that the world needs a “qualitative leap to confront climate change's challenges”.
The term “loss and damage” in UN climate negotiations refers to expenses already incurred as a result of climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels or extreme heat waves.
While current climate funding focuses on cutting carbon emissions to prevent climate change in the future, establishing a “loss and damage” fund means compensating countries that can't avoid or adapt to the changes that have already happened.
The Egyptian diplomat also noted that numerous burdens and crises are brought on by the current global geopolitical environment, adding those need to be handled so that they will not affect progress in achieving commitments related to combating climate change.
Shoukry said that the countries on the African continent are among those that suffered from problems of climate change.
“The countries of the African continent have shown their willingness to confront climate change, but they need support,” Shoukry said.
Shoukry presided over a meeting earlier in the day to finalise the COP27 agenda, which included adapting to the effects of climate change, mitigating its negative repercussions, and ways to provide climate finance.
During the meeting, Shoukry stressed the need to confront the negative effects of climate change during the two-week conference, where over 40 000 participants from over 190 countries and dozens of international and regional organisations will try to work together and seek possible solutions to one of the biggest challenges the world is facing.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said that COP27 came at a very sensitive time in which the world is exposed to “existential dangers”.
“There is no doubt that these dangers and challenges require quick action by all countries to lay down a rescue roadmap that protects the world from the effects of climate change,” Sisi said on his Facebook page.
The Egyptian president added that his country hoped the climate conference could turn promises into implementation.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurated the Green Zone, where many events and activities on the sidelines of COP27 will take place.
Madbouly said that the area allocated to the Green Zone was much larger than at any previous climate summits, pointing out that this reflected an important message from Egypt.
“Egypt represents the continent of Africa in this summit, which will witness for the first time the allocation of 'Africa Day.' The event will discuss ideas of the African youth and all the entities that represent the continent,” Madbouly said during the opening of the zone.
He stressed that while the African continent is one of the regions most affected by the negative consequences of climate change, African countries have only emitted 4% of the world's greenhouse gases.
Therefore, he said, organising the conference in Africa was a real opportunity to send clear messages to the world that Africa needs support to deal with climate change.
Xinhua