All eyes are on the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), as heads of State and Government, activists, businesses, academia, cities and other stakeholders gathered in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
Impacts of climate change include the rising sea levels, melting glaciers, flooding and drought, displacing millions of people, sinking them into poverty and hunger, denying them access to basic services, such as health and education, expanding inequalities, stifling economic growth and even putting communities at risk of conflict.
Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its devastating impacts is therefore an imperative to save lives and livelihood, and key to making the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals – the blueprint for a better future – a reality.
COP27 seeks solidarity and action on an array of issues, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience, and delivering the necessary financing for developing countries. Dubbed as ‘Implementation COP’, it seeks to be the one to turn pledges into action.
Here is a snapshot of key outcomes and calls to action so far.
Recommendations from the Net-Zero Expert Group
On 8 November, the High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitment of Non-State Actors, established at COP26 in Glasgow, launched a report, proposes 10 recommendations to businesses, financial institutions, cities and regions to ensure high, credible and accountable net-zero emission pledges. The report focuses on four key areas: environmental integrity, credibility, accountability and the role of governments.
In his response to the report, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was very clear: “Using bogus ‘net-zero’ pledges to cover up massive fossil fuel expansion is reprehensible. This toxic cover-up could push our world over the climate cliff. The sham must end.”
He called on all non-state actors to review their pledges and align them with his and the report’s guidelines. He also called on leaders to provide non-state entities with a level playing field to transition to a just, net-zero future.
Early Warning System for All
On 7 November, UN Secretary-General António Guterres unveiled the details of his plan to ensure everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems within the next five years.
The Executive Action Plan for the Early Warnings for All initiative calls for initial targeted investments of $3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027, equivalent to a cost of just 50 cents per person per year.
He told them that people who have barely contributed to the climate crisis are the most at risk and the least protected. “Vulnerable communities in climate hotspots are being blindsided by cascading climate disasters without any means of prior alert,” he said.
According to the Global Commission on Adaptation, spending just $800 million on these systems in developing countries would avoid losses of $3 billion to $16 billion per year.
The initiative will also be on the agenda at the UN 2023 Water Conference, which will feature an interactive dialogue on “Water for Climate, Resilience and Environment”.
Call for Climate Solidarity Pact
In his remarks to the opening of COP27 Leaders’ Summit, the Secretary-General also warned that the world is getting dangerously close to the point of no return and that to avoid that dire fate, all G20 countries must accelerate their transition in this decade, calling for a Climate Solidarity Pact between developed and emerging economies.
By the pact, all countries should make an extra effort to reduce emissions this decade in line with the 1.5-degree goal, and wealthier countries provide financial and technical assistance to help emerging economies speed their own renewable energy transition, he said.
International Drought Resilience Alliance
On 7 November, the International Drought Resilience Alliance was launched. It is is a collaborative platform that aims to catalyze political momentum and action that supports countries, cities, and communities. It aims to go beyond disaster response to reduce country and community vulnerability to the impacts of drought by mainstreaming preparedness and adaptation measures.
The Alliance will significantly contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, which call for multilateral action to address interconnected challenges, and also promote a paradigm shift in the way drought is managed – pivoting from a reactive and crisis-based approach towards a proactive and risk-based one.
Resources for COP27: