COP27: What’s New?
Photo from: Shutterstock, Inc.
Edited by Rachel Heung
This year, COP27 is being held in El Sheikh, Egypt from 6-18th of November. This is the first time it has been held outside of Europe since 2016. It also marks the fifth time this meeting has happened in Africa.
“COP” stands for “Conference of the Parties”. The “Parties” refer to the 197 nations that participate in the environmental pact. The nations come together annually to discuss solutions for climate change and global warming.
COP27 will tackle three main aspects: reducing emissions, helping countries prepare for climate change and obtaining funding and technical support for developing countries. They will also go back to topics from COP26, such as loss and damage finance, establishing global carbon markets and reducing coal usage. Furthermore, they will host thematic days to discuss biodiversity, gender, water and energy etc.
Part of COP27’s agenda is loss and damage. This issue cannot be dismissed since many countries have fallen victim to loss and damage. Island countries, in particular, have sought help for increasing greenhouse gas emissions for over 30 years. Denmark is the first UN member to offer $13.3M towards this issue. Scotland and Wallonia have also made pledges alike.
Australia, the 11th biggest methane emitter, has signed the COP26 methane pledge. Countries that have joined the methane pledge include six of the top 10 greatest methane producers: the United States, Nigeria, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico and Pakistan. In total, 112 nations have pledged to reduce 30% methane emissions by 2030.
Lastly, Brazil’s new president (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) promised to stop the illegal destruction of the Amazon rainforest since Brazil’s former president (Jair Bolsonaro) took office four years ago. When Bolsonaro was president, more than two billion trees were chopped or burnt illegally by loggers, cattle ranchers and soy farmers. This was awful news as the Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse ecosystem in the world; home to many exotic species. Therefore, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pledged “zero deforestation” in his speech.
Let's hope to see more fruitful discussions take place at COP in the future!
Bibliography
COP27 SHARM EL-SHEIKH EGYPT 2022. (2022). COP27 Presidency Vision. COP27. https://cop27.eg/#/presidency/events
Kaminski, I. (2022, November 8). COP27: six reasons to be optimistic about the climate summit. Positive News. https://www.positive.news/environment/cop27-six-reasons-to-be-optimistic-about-the-climate-summit/
nytimes.com. (2021, November 13). https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/13/climate/cop26-meaning.html
ParabolStudio. (n.d.). Global Warming and Pollution Concept - Sustainability (Elements of this image furnished by NASA). Shutterstock. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/global-warming-pollution-concept-sustainability-elements-285980522
Schiffman, R. (2022, November 9). Brazil’s New President Vows to Save Amazon Forests. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brazils-new-president-vows-to-save-amazon-forests/
