A round-up of what went on at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit
The 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, began November 7, 2022. Here’s a look at what happened on day eight of COP27 climate talks.
Technical work under the governing bodies would continue this week, the COP27 Presidency announced at an informal stocktaking plenary. This will include items forwarded by the Subsidiary Bodies which had no substantive conclusions.
Discussions will continue on multiple programmes such as mitigation work, national adaptation plans, global goals on adaptation, Article 6 and loss and damage.
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Read more: COP27: Kenya’s ambitious hydrogen deal & plan to help Africa exploit green energy
Parties were told to speak to one another and resolve their differences over the prepared text during negotiations for the mitigation work programme. The text would then be forwarded to the respective ministers.
The current text needs clearer language on the urgency of staying below 1.5 degrees Celsius, Switzerland said. It must better reflect the principle of front-loading emissions reductions.
The country also stated that it found the language around equity to be problematic.
The principles of the UNFCCC and the nationally determined nature of the NDCs must also reflect in the text, said Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Arab Group.
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An ‘elements paper’ was prepared by co-facilitators to capture the first round of inputs from Parties at the negotiations on funding arrangements for addressing loss and damage.
However, the paper was circulated very late and too close to the negotiation, which led many Parties to complain that they did not have much time to review it.
A part of the text stated, “insufficient mitigation contributes to increasing loss and damage.” The Group of 77 objected to it and said countries can be carbon neutral and still suffer losses, so connecting loss and damage to mitigation is inappropriate.
G77 also said they still expect the establishment of a funding arrangement for loss and damage as an outcome of COP27 and not the technical workshops and dialogues currently being proposed.
The reference to historical cumulative emissions should be added to the text, India requested. However, the references to a new financial mechanism in the text do not reflect the “broader comprehensive approach” they are suggesting and are thus prejudicial, claimed the United States of America.
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Read more: ‘Explosion’ in number of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP27 climate summit
Major rainforest countries Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo launched a new pact to collaborate on rainforest conservation. The agreement asks for compensation to reduce deforestation.
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The much-awaited Global Shield Against Climate Risks initiative was formally launched at the Vulnerable 20 (V20) pavilion at COP27. It is a collaboration between the V20 group of finance ministers representing 58 climate-vulnerable countries and the G7.
The initiative is envisioned as a social protection and insurance-based finance mechanism for loss and damage outside the UNFCCC process.
The initiative will provide pre-arranged financial support designed to be quickly deployed in times of climate disasters, such as the devastating Pakistan floods in August.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Fiji, Senegal, Philippines and Ghana will be the first countries to receive assistance from the Global Shield initiative.
While civil society has said the Global Shield is a distraction from the loss and damage deliberations under the UNFCCC process, a German ministry official told Down To Earth the initiative would, in turn, build trust for solutions in the negotiations and aid the process.
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India submitted its Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy to the UNFCCC. The strategy was launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, who is leading the Indian delegation to COP 27.
Additional Secretary for MoEFCC Richa Sharma and advisor/scientist G MoEFCC J R Bhatt were present at the release of the strategy document.
The document includes strategic transitions for seven major sectors/areas — electricity, transport, urbanisation, industry, carbon dioxide removal, forests, finance and investment. India joins the select list of fewer than 60 parties that have submitted their LT-LEDS to UNFCCC with this strategy.
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Read more: COP27 diary (November 12): ‘US won't support legal structures for loss and damage liabilities’
Non-profits like UrgewaldStopEACOP (East African Crude Oil Pipeline), Oilwatch Africa, Africa Coal Network and 33 others released a report, Who is Financing Fossil Fuel Expansion in Africa.
Oil, gas and coal companies are exploring or developing new fossil fuel reserves in 48 African countries, the report highlighted. Almost 90 per cent of the new liquefied natural gas capacity in Africa is planned for export.
International investors hold over 109 billion US dollars in companies driving fossil fuel expansion in Africa in terms of financing, the report mentioned.
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The Action for Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARe) initiative was launched by the Presidency in partnership with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to address water security as part of climate change adaptation.
AWARe will focus on three priorities for action: Decrease water losses worldwide and improve water supply. Propose and support implementing mutually agreed policies and methods for cooperative water-related adaptation action and its co-benefits.
It will also promote cooperation and interlinkages between water and climate action in order to achieve Agenda 2030, in particular sustainable development goal 6 (clean water and sanitation for all).
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