COP27 ends with loss and damage agreement: ‘One step towards justice’, head of the United Nations |
“This COP took an important step towards justice. I welcome the decision to establish a loss and damage finance and operate it in the coming period,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said in a video message broadcast from the conference venue in Egypt, stressing that the voices of those on the front lines of the climate crisis must be heard.
The head of the United Nations is addressing what has finally become the most thorny issue at this COP, which stands for the Annual Meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (UNFCCC).
Developing countries have made strong and repeated calls for the creation of a loss and damage fund, to compensate those most vulnerable to climate catastrophes, but not countries that have contributed very little to the climate crisis.
“Obviously this is not enough, but it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust,” he stressed, noting that the United Nations system would support the effort. this force in each step.
“I urge all of you to view these draft decisions as not merely words on paper, but as a common message to the world that we have heeded the call of our leaders. leadership and of current and future generations to set the right pace and direction for the implementation of the Paris agreement and the achievement of its objectives.
Mr. Shoukry added: “The world is watching, I urge all of us to uphold the expectations that the global community has entrusted to us, and especially by those who are most vulnerable yet vulnerable. contribute the least to climate change.”
After missing the deadline on Friday night, negotiators were finally able to reach a conclusion on the hardest items on the agenda, including the loss and damage basis – with a commitment to set the financial support structure for the most vulnerable at the next COP in 2023 – as well as the post-2025 financial target and the so-called mitigation work program, which will reduce emissions faster, catalyze impactful action and assurances from key countries that they will act immediately to raise ambitions and keep us moving towards 1.5°C.
However, while agreement on these issues is seen as a welcome step in the right direction, there seems to be little progress on other important issues, particularly on phasing out fossil fuels. jelly and tighten language about the need to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The new language includes “low-emissions” energy in addition to renewables as the energy source of the future presents a significant loophole, as undefined terminology can be used to justify development. new fossil fuels that are contrary to the clear guidance of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The fight against climate change continues
Mr. Guterres reminded the world of what remains a priority with regard to climate action, including the ambition to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and sustain the life of Paris Agreementof the 1.5 degree Celsius limit and pull humanity “back from the climate cliff”.
“We need to dramatically reduce emissions now – and this is an issue the COP has not solved,” he lamented, adding that the world still needs to take a leap forward in climate ambitions. and end the addiction to fossil fuels by investing “massively” in renewable energy.
The UN chief also stressed the need to deliver on the long-delayed promise of $100 billion a year in climate financing for developing countries, establishing clarity and a roadmap. reliable to double the adaptation fund.
He also reiterated the importance of changing the business models of multilateral development banks and international financial institutions.
“They have to take more risks and systematically leverage private financing for developing countries at a reasonable cost,” he said.
Our planet is still in the emergency room
The head of the United Nations says that while a loss and damage fund is essential, it is not the answer if the climate crisis wipes a small island nation off the map – or turns it off. the entire African nation into a desert.
He reiterated his call for equitable energy transition partnerships to accelerate the phasing out of coal and scale up renewables and reiterated the call he made given in the opening remarks at COP27: a climate solidarity treaty.
“A treaty in which all countries work harder to reduce emissions this decade in line with the 1.5 degree target. And a Mobilization Pact – along with international financial institutions and the private sector – to provide financial and technical support to major emerging economies to accelerate their renewable energy transitions. ,” he explains, emphasizing that this is essential to keep the 1.5-degree limit within reach.
‘I Share Your Frustration’
The UN chief also sent a message to civil society organizations and activists who have spoken out since the opening day of the conference: “I share your disappointment”.
Mr Guterres says climate advocates – led by the moral voices of young people – have kept the agenda going through its darkest days and they must be protected.
“The most important source of energy in the world is human power. That’s why it’s so important to understand the human rights side of climate action,” he said, adding that the battle ahead will be difficult and “each of us will have to fight it.” fighting in the trenches every day… we can’t wait for a miracle.”
Agreeing with this view, Kenyan youth environmental activist, Elizabeth Wathuti, said: “COP27 may be over, but the fight for a secure future is not yet. It is now more urgent than ever for political leaders to work to agree a strong global agreement to protect and restore nature at the Global Biodiversity Summit. upcoming in Montreal. ”
Ms. Wathuti added: “The interconnected climate, nature and food crises are affecting all of us right now – but frontline communities like mine have been hit hardest. How many alarms must be sounded before we act?”
He reiterated his call for equitable energy transition partnerships to accelerate the phasing out of coal and scale up renewables and reiterated the call he made given in the opening remarks at COP27: a climate solidarity treaty.
“A treaty in which all countries work harder to reduce emissions this decade in line with the 1.5 degree target. And a Mobilization Pact – along with international financial institutions and the private sector – to provide financial and technical support to major emerging economies to accelerate their renewable energy transitions. ,” he explains, emphasizing that this is essential to keep the 1.5-degree limit within reach.
Time is running out
In his video message, Mr. Guterres emphasized that COP27 has ended with “a lot of homework” still to be done and little time to do it.
“We are half way through [2015] The Paris climate agreement and the 2030 deadline. We all need to join hands to advance justice and ambition,” he said.
This includes ambitions to end the “suicide war” against nature that is fueling the climate crisis, pushing species to the brink of extinction and destroying ecosystems, the secretary-general added.
“Next month UN Biodiversity Conference It is time to adopt an ambitious global biodiversity framework for the next decade, based on the power of nature-based solutions and the vital role indigenous communities play,” he said. urge.
What has been achieved?
COP27 convened more than 35,000 people, including government representatives, observers and civil society.
The highlights of the meeting included, among others, the launch of the first report of the High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero Emission Commitments of NGOs.
The report criticizes greenwashing – misleading the public that a company or organization is doing more to protect the environment than it actually does – and weak net zero commitments and providing process to bring integrity to the net zero commitments of industry, financial institutions, cities and regions, and to support an equitable, global transition to a sustainable future.
Also during the Conference, the United Nations informed about Executive Action Plan for the Early Warning for All initiativecalls for initial new targeted investments of $3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027, which equates to a cost of just 50 cents per person per year.
Meanwhile, former US vice president and climate activist Al Gore, with the support of the United Nations Secretary-General, presents a new independent inventory of greenhouse gas emissions created by the TRACE Climate Alliance.
The tool combines satellite data and artificial intelligence to show the base-level emissions of more than 70,000 locations around the world, including companies in China, the United States and India. This will allow leaders to pinpoint the location and extent of carbon and methane emissions into the atmosphere.
Another highlight of the conference was a the so-called master plan to accelerate decarbonisation of five key sectors – electricity, road transport, steel, hydrogen and agriculture – presented by the President of COP27 Egypt.
The Egyptian leadership also announced the start Food and Agriculture Initiative for Sustainable or FAST Transformationto improve the quantity and quality of climate finance contributions to transform agriculture and food systems by 2030.
This is the first COP to have a day dedicated to Agriculturecontributes to one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and must be an important part of the solution.
Other initiatives announced at COP27 include:
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