COP27 begins a ‘new era of doing things differently’, declared UN climate change chief as key conference unfolds |
“Today a new era begins – and we started doing things differently. Paris gave us the deal. Katowice and Glasgow gave us the plan. Sharm el-Sheik moves us to the implementation. No one can be a mere passenger on this journey. This is a signal that times have changed,” Mr. Stiell told delegates gathered in the main meeting room of the Tonino Lamborghini International Convention Center.
The UN climate chief said leaders – whether President, Prime Minister or CEO – would be held accountable for the promises they made last year in Glasgow.
“Because our policies, our business, our infrastructure, our actions, whether private or public, must be consistent with Paris Agreement and with [UN Climate] Convention”, he stressed.
The UNFCCC The convention entered into force on March 21, 1994 to prevent “dangerous” human interference with the climate system. Today, ratified by 198 countries, it has an almost global membership. The Paris Agreement, agreed to in 2016, acts as an extension of that convention.
Outside the plenary hall at the COP27 convention center, Sharm El-Sheikh
Deliver what was promised
Acknowledging the complex geopolitical situation today, Mr. Stiell said that COP27 is an opportunity to create a safe political space, shielded from whatever is going on “out there”, to work. and bring about world change.
“At Sharm el-Sheikh, we have a duty to accelerate our international efforts to turn words into action,” he said.
The UNFCCC Executive Secretary highlighted three important lines of action for the Conference:
- Demonstrate transition to implementation by translating negotiations into concrete actions.
- Cement progress on critical workflows – mitigation, adaptation, financing and importantly – loss and damage.
- Strengthen the implementation of the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the process.
“I welcome the blueprint for how we deliver on what we promised,” he told delegates.
Emissions from crude oil extraction are a significant part of total fossil fuel emissions
No reverse slip allowed
Mr. Stiell, calling himself a “head of accountability”, claims that 29 countries have now put in place national climate plans that have been tightened since COP26another year since last week’s publication UNFCCC General Report NDCbut still not the majority.
“So here I am now, looking at 170 countries that will review and strengthen their national commitments this year,” he said.
He reminded the delegates that last year Glasgow Climate Pact agreed at COP26, and he hoped they would not give up their word.
“Follow your commitments. Build on them here in Egypt. I wouldn’t be a defender of backsliding,” he said.
People demonstrate in Nuremberg, Germany, as part of the Global Climate Strike.
A process that includes
In words that drew acclaim in the plenary room, the UN climate chief stressed that women and girls must be at the center of decision-making and action on climate. Queen.
“Empowering them leads to better governance and better outcomes,” he said, highlighting the importance of civil society and youth organizations in the COP27 process.
Representative of the United Kingdom, COP26 President, Alok Sharma, speaking at the opening of the latest United Nations climate change plenary, COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
New President
Alok Sharma, COP26 President representing the UK, officially handed the baton to the new President of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, during the opening plenary session.
Mr. Sharma reviewed the achievements made in Glasgow last year, such as finalizing the so-called Paris Rules – a guide on how to implement that Agreement – and making stronger financial commitments.
“The United Nations Secretary-General has said ‘our common long-term future does not lie in fossil fuels,’ and I agree with him,” he said.
According to the President of COP26, if all the commitments made last year, including the unreal ones, are fulfilled, the world will tend to warm by 1.7 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
“Still not 1.5C, but progress,” he said, recognizing the scale of the challenge the world is facing.
Referring to Stiell, he called on leaders to act, despite today’s geopolitical challenges.
“Challenging as we are now, inaction is absurd, and can only delay climate catastrophe, we must find the ability to focus on many things at once,” he urged. “.
Egypt urges implementation
COP27 President Sameh Shoukry called on delegates to expand their ambitions and start delivering on the promises made.
“Moving from negotiation and commitment to an era of implementation is a priority,” he said, then commending countries for sharing updated national climate plans.
Mr. Shoukry added that the $100 billion promised for developed countries to adapt to developing countries should be delivered and finance should also be at the center of the discussion.
“Negotiations” [during the next two weeks] hope to get results. I urge all of you to listen carefully and commit to implementing and turning political commitments into agreements and understandings and texts and resolutions that we can all implement,” he said. emphasize.
He also warned that “the zero-sum game has no winner” and that the impact of the negotiations will affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world who are affected by change. climate.
“We cannot tolerate any negligence or omission; We cannot threaten the future of generations to come,” he stressed.
Loss and damage
Also on Sunday, the agenda items to be discussed in the next two weeks at COP27 were agreed during the opening of the procedure.
‘Loss and damage’, an item that was still uncertain ahead of the conference, was finally put on the agenda after being put forward by negotiators from the Group of 77 and China (basically covering including all developing countries) and after extensive discussions among the 194 parties to the United Nations Climate Convention.
Climate change, through extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, desertification and rising sea levels, causes costly damages to countries.
Because the rise of “disasters” in other words is due to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from rich industrial countries, Developing countries – often the ones most affected – have long argued that they should be compensated.
The issue of these payments, known as “losses and damages” will now be a major topic of discussion at COP27.
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