COP27: Explained
I have never heard of “COP27”
“COP27” is the 27th annual Conference of the Parties, whereby the “parties” in question here refer to the 197 nations that have signed on to and ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. [1] This Convention aims to combat “dangerous human interference with the climate system” [2] in order to, per the Convention, “protect the climate system for present and future generations”. The Conference ran from 6th November to 20th November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
Last year COP27 brought together over 100 world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, newly-appointed UK PM Rishi Sunak [3], and climate action champion [4], Mia Mottley, the PM of Barbados. In addition to these prolific world leaders, some 35,000 other persons are said to have also attended. [5]
Do we even need an annual Climate Conference?
The United Nations credits COP27 as “[creating] a unique opportunity in 2022 for the world to unite, to make multilateralism work by restoring trust and coming together at the highest levels to increase our ambition and action in fighting climate change.” [6] With sea levels rising, natural disasters becoming progressively worse (see: volcanic eruptions in St Vincent and Hawaii), and the last seven years being held as the hottest on record, it's clear that we are rapidly approaching a tipping point where the agreements reached at COP27 are needed now more than ever. [7]
Has anything important ever come out of COP?
One of the most significant things to come out of a COP summit is the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change that was adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris in 2015 and it came into force in November 2016. The goal of the agreement is to hopefully limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius per year, with the ideal limitation being 1.5 degrees Celsius. [8] However, studies have shown that many of the 194 signatory countries will not meet the 1.5-degree goal. Further, large emitters such as the US and China are unlikely to meet even the 2-degree goal. [9]
What was discussed at COP27 last year?
There is a clear divide between what countries want to achieve most following COP27. Wealthy, developed nations believe that the best way to manage Climate Change is to focus on ways to help developing nations combat their dependency on fossil fuels and transition into using more renewable energy sources. [10] Contrarily, developing countries want more developed countries to pledge the money that they desperately need to address the climate disasters they are already facing.[11]
As such, one of the major topics consistently tabled is finances. At the Copenhagen Summit – “COP15” – in 2009, developed countries committed to mobilizing US $100 billion each year towards improving and mitigating the effects of climate destruction in developing countries.[12] Nonetheless, the realisation of this goal has not been what was expected – that is, to date, the target remains unmet. Capital investment is crucially needed at this stage in developing countries, not only to mitigate the ongoing effects of climate change but also to create meaningful change to reduce the rapidly- evolving ramifications.
The other major topic that was tabled at last year’s conference was that of loss and damage. The major effects of climate change are obvious; they range from bigger and bolder weather events (see: the UK heatwave in 2022) to less immediately recognisable impacts like the loss of biodiversity (live coral reef systems have nearly halved in the last 150 years [13]) and rising sea levels.
There had been a huge outcry from island nations to address these concerns since COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland one year previous. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are disproportionately impacted by the devastating effects of climate change. At COP26 SIDS stressed the need for financial and insurance measures to be implemented in order to tackle the serious loss and damage that they face every year. According to the UN, “with each new disaster, and continuous exposure to slow-onset events, financial vulnerability grows and the capacity to respond to future disasters weakens.” [14]
What has come out of COP27?
The most significant and memorable item to come out of COP27 was the ‘loss and damage’ fund for climate impact in developing countries. Many developing countries have been championing a fund like this to be developed for many years and their efforts have finally come to fruition.
According to Sir Molwyn Joseph, minister of health, wellbeing and the environment of Antigua and Barbuda, and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States:
Nevertheless, while on the surface this fund seems like a win, for advocates begging for change this concept is far from perfect. It has yet to be decided who will pay for the fund, who can access it, and how it can be accessed remains uncertain. As such, a committee consisting of 24 members, 10 of whom are from developing countries, are set to convene in March 2023 to put forth recommendations on how the fund should operate. [16] However, these recommendations will not be considered by the rest of the Member States until the next COP summit in 2023. Given how rapidly the negative effects of climate change have been affecting the world at large in recent years, the specifics of this fund need to be concluded today rather than a year from now. This is particularly so as this is only one step towards mitigating the effects and other decisive action needs to be made and taken too.
Conclusion
Whether or not COP summits are successful in meeting the goals and plans that come out of these conferences is debatable. However, what is not up for debate is the immense need for climate action. Despite its faults, the COP summits continuously push relevant discussions on climate change. Thus, it is a positive step towards alleviating the negative effects of climate change as it creates a space for conversations between States and activists to occur that will be crucial in order to take meaningful and impactful steps towards building a united front against climate change.
References
[1] Friedman, L. (2022) What is COP27? and other questions about the big U.N. climate summit, The New York Times. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/article/cop27-climate-change-summit.html (Accessed: December 2022).
[2] ibid
[3] Mason, R. and Horton, H. (2022) Rishi Sunak U-turns on decision not to attend COP27 climate summit, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/02/rishi-sunak-u-turns-decision-not-to-attend-cop27-climate-summit (Accessed: December 2022).
[4] Champions of the earth: Mia Mottley versus the 'faceless few' | UN news (2021) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/12/1108272 (Accessed: December 2022).
[5] The Future of Climate Action will be decided in Egypt. here's what you need to know about COP27: United Nations Development Programme (2022) UNDP. United Nations Development Programme. Available at: https://www.undp.org/stories/future-climate-action-will-be-decided-egypt-heres-what-you-need-know-about-cop27?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4aacBhCUARIsAI55maEukuQttTwqsGFCih-uOOPR09NuRR6F3Rq7KBnayTXdzg_7msIy0Z0aArBsEALw_wcB (Accessed: December 2022).
[6] COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh to Focus on Delivering on the Promises of Paris (2022) Unfccc.int. United Nations Climate Change. Available at: https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-in-sharm-el-sheikh-to-focus-on-delivering-on-the-promises-of-paris#:~:text=COP27%20creates%20a%20unique%20opportunity,action%20in%20fighting%20climate%20change. (Accessed: December 2022).
[7] The Future of Climate Action will be decided in Egypt. here's what you need to know about COP27: United Nations Development Programme (2022) UNDP. United Nations Development Programme. Available at: https://www.undp.org/stories/future-climate-action-will-be-decided-egypt-heres-what-you-need-know-about-cop27?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4aacBhCUARIsAI55maEukuQttTwqsGFCih-uOOPR09NuRR6F3Rq7KBnayTXdzg_7msIy0Z0aArBsEALw_wcB (Accessed: December 2022).
[8] The Paris Agreement (no date) Unfccc.int. United Nations Climate Change. Available at: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement#:~:text=The%20Paris%20Agreement%20is%20a,compared%20to%20pre%2Dindustrial%20levels. (Accessed: December 2022).
[9] Climate Action Tracker. Available at: https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/ (Accessed: December 2022).
[10] Friedman, L. (2022) What is COP27? and other questions about the big U.N. climate summit, The New York Times. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/article/cop27-climate-change-summit.html (Accessed: December 2022).
[11] ibid
[12] The Future of Climate Action will be decided in Egypt. here's what you need to know about COP27: United Nations Development Programme (2022) UNDP. United Nations Development Programme. Available at: https://www.undp.org/stories/future-climate-action-will-be-decided-egypt-heres-what-you-need-know-about-cop27?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4aacBhCUARIsAI55maEukuQttTwqsGFCih-uOOPR09NuRR6F3Rq7KBnayTXdzg_7msIy0Z0aArBsEALw_wcB (Accessed: December 2022).
[13] Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change (no date) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity?gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19erM_l7RicUXtJSNPqZJVY_CFUAGgg0jFK0H64bximShe2VTeGdWLyxoC1usQAvD_BwE (Accessed: December 2022).
[14] Loss and damage a major demand for island nations at COP26 | office of the high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and Small Island Developing States (no date) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/ohrlls/news/loss-and-damage-major-demand-island-nations-cop26 (Accessed: December 2022).
[15] Harvey, F., Lakhani, N. and Morton, A. (2022) Cop27 agrees historic 'loss and damage' fund for climate impact in developing countries, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/20/cop27-agrees-to-historic-loss-and-damage-fund-to-compensate-developing-countries-for-climate-impacts (Accessed: December 2022).
[16] Aggarwal, M. (2022) Cop27 agrees to historic compensation 'loss and damage' fund, NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/climate-compensation-fund-approved-issues-air-rcna58046 (Accessed: December 2022).
Climate Action Tracker. Available at: https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/ (Accessed: December 2022).
Aggarwal, M. (2022) Cop27 agrees to historic compensation 'loss and damage' fund, NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/climate-compensation-fund-approved-issues-air-rcna58046 (Accessed: December 2022).
Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change (no date) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity?gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19erM_l7RicUXtJSNPqZJVY_CFUAGgg0jFK0H64bximShe2VTeGdWLyxoC1usQAvD_BwE (Accessed: December 2022).
Champions of the earth: Mia Mottley versus the 'faceless few' | UN news (2021) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/12/1108272 (Accessed: December 2022).
COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh to Focus on Delivering on the Promises of Paris (2022) Unfccc.int. United Nations Climate Change. Available at: https://unfccc.int/news/cop27-in-sharm-el-sheikh-to-focus-on-delivering-on-the-promises-of-paris#:~:text=COP27%20creates%20a%20unique%20opportunity,action%20in%20fighting%20climate%20change. (Accessed: December 2022).
Friedman, L. (2022) What is COP27? and other questions about the big U.N. climate summit, The New York Times. The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/article/cop27-climate-change-summit.html (Accessed: December 2022).
The Future of Climate Action will be decided in Egypt. here's what you need to know about COP27: United Nations Development Programme (2022) UNDP. United Nations Development Programme. Available at: https://www.undp.org/stories/future-climate-action-will-be-decided-egypt-heres-what-you-need-know-about-cop27?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4aacBhCUARIsAI55maEukuQttTwqsGFCih-uOOPR09NuRR6F3Rq7KBnayTXdzg_7msIy0Z0aArBsEALw_wcB (Accessed: December 2022).
Harvey, F., Lakhani, N. and Morton, A. (2022) Cop27 agrees historic 'loss and damage' fund for climate impact in developing countries, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/20/cop27-agrees-to-historic-loss-and-damage-fund-to-compensate-developing-countries-for-climate-impacts (Accessed: December 2022).
Loss and damage a major demand for island nations at COP26 | office of the high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and Small Island Developing States (no date) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/ohrlls/news/loss-and-damage-major-demand-island-nations-cop26 (Accessed: December 2022).
Mason, R. and Horton, H. (2022) Rishi Sunak U-turns on decision not to attend COP27 climate summit, The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/02/rishi-sunak-u-turns-decision-not-to-attend-cop27-climate-summit (Accessed: December 2022).
The Paris Agreement (no date) Unfccc.int. United Nations Climate Change. Available at: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement#:~:text=The%20Paris%20Agreement%20is%20a,compared%20to%20pre%2Dindustrial%20levels. (Accessed: December 2022).
