By Dr Masimba Mavaza in
SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt | The 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC is taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh was originally expected to take place from 8-20 November 2021.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, COP 26 was rescheduled from November 2020 to November 2021. As a result, COP 27 is currently taking place in Egypt in the town of Sharm El Sheikh
The Democratic Republic of the Congo did host a Pre-COP from 3-5 October 2022 in Kinshasa in preparation for the current in Ndaba.
Egypt is hosting the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, with a view to building on previous successes and paving the way for future ambition.
Egypt’s COP27 presidency vision is to move from negotiations and planning to implementation, with bold and rapid collective action needed to address the climate crisis. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe in his speech at Cop27 said “Those mostly responsible for the climate crisis must listen and prioritize climate finance to help prevent disasters and climate victims recover. Commitments we have made and continue to make can only make a difference when we act on them.” His sentiments echo the African leaders stand that Africa should not be punished for the fault of others. MACKY SALL, PRESIDENT OF SENEGA said in his speech. “Let’s be clear, we are in favour of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. But we Africans cannot accept that our vital interests be ignored.” In many conferences Africa is blamed for many things but the leaders of Africa in Africa stood up for the continent. The World leaders, policymakers and delegates from nearly 200 countries are at the COP27 U.N. climate summit in Egypt, where they hope to keep alive a goal to avert the worst impacts of climate change. This is the first time in 27 conferences that it is being held in Africa. Gaston Browne prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda zeroed in and said “The oil and gas industry continues to earn almost 3 billion United States dollars daily in profits. It is about time that these companies are made to pay a global carbon tax on their profits as a source of funding for loss and damage.” Africa can not be asked to use its own money when the destroyers of the world benefit. “Profligate producers of fossil fuels have benefited from extortionate profits at the expense of human civilization. While they are profiting, the planet is burning.” Leaders have bemoaned.
The Russian conflict with Ukraine and Europe’s energy crisis cast an ominous shadow over the talks but the conference has progressed well and still continuing.
In summary World leaders gathered at COP27 amid compounding crises of war, warming and economic turmoil.
Russia’s conflict with Ukraine and Europe’s energy crisis are casting a long shadow over the talks.The most vulnerable countries are seeking ‘loss and damage’ compensation from the biggest polluters of which the polluters are being defended by super powers.
Switzerland is trying a novel, and disputed, way to meet its emissions goals.
In his opening speech the U.N. Leader Warns that Climate Change Is Close to the ‘Point of No Return’ António Guterres, the United Nations secretary general, urged world leaders at the COP27 climate summit to accelerate their countries’ efforts to address climate change or face “climate hell.”Dozens of presidents and prime ministers spoke on Monday at a global summit on climate change after the United Nations chief opened the day’s session with a warning that the world was “on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”The U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, ignited the fire and let out the simmering anger from the chests of many world leaders at the annual United Nations-led international climate talks, which officially began on Sunday as the accumulating threats of war, warming and economic crisis take a toll on every continent, hitting the world’s most vulnerable people the hardest. The African leaders marks this historical event by venting their anger on the microphone hoping that someone is listening. But Mr Guterres said “We are in the fight of our lives, and we are losing,” he said in his opening remarks at the summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Dozens of world leaders delivered brief addresses at the event on Monday. With President MNANGAGWA flying Zimbabwean flag high and booking no nonsense in fearless and straightforward speech. Indeed MNANGAGWA in a man of his words and man among men. The president noted that “The biggest fault line of this year’s talks is the question of what rich, industrialized countries that account for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions owe to those bearing the brunt of climate hazards.”
The most sane thing on this summit is that protests, which have been a feature of earlier COP summits, have been noticeably absent so far in Egypt, partly as a result of strict security measures and the remoteness of the conference site from major cities. Zimbabweans who had always loved to embarrass their country by coming to demonstrate in such international meeting could only demonstrate from their homes. With protesters mostly absent from the streets, straight thinking people seized on the opportunity to reasonably push governments to take tougher action against climate change.
Over 44,000 people have registered to attend, including representatives of government, business and civil society groups.The talks come at the end of a year that saw extraordinary heat waves across the northern hemisphere, catastrophic flooding in Pakistan and Nigeria, and a punishing drought in China.According to a list posted by the United Nations, 110 heads of state and government are addressing the conference, a larger number than at many previous climate conferences. Of those, just seven are women.In her remarks on Monday, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados linked the inability of vulnerable countries to cope with climate hazards to history, saying that countries of the Global North still controlled the money that countries of the Global South need in order to pivot away from fossil fuels.She also restated a call for an overhaul of international development institutions like the World Bank.”This world looks too much like it did when it was part of an imperialistic empire,” she said.
Now the world looks on “can anything good come out of Nazareth” strictly asking can anything good come out of these summits.
We shall wait and see.