COP—’Conference of the Parties’—we all know is the UN conference on all aspects of Climate change, the 27th COP held in Egypt having just finished. The main objectives of COP haven’t changed: keep global temperature rises to less than 2deg C, and ideally 1.5deg, relative to pre-industrial revolution levels, strengthen the ability to adapt to change, and make financial commitments that lower greenhouse emissions. The reason this is important is that half the world’s population is already now vulnerable to floods, droughts and storms, and the most vulnerable are 15 times as likely to die as a result as those unaffected.
The greatest achievement of this year’s “African COP” was the setting up of a Loss and Damage Fund to help people most affected to cope with their loss, although there is some concern as to who decides how the funds should be allocated.
However, those who had high hopes for what the Conference might achieve were greatly disappointed by other developments there. It didn’t help that this was happening under the economic and energy crisis produced by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. This has brought to the fore the major question about energy security, even for the West, making acute the tension between current and long term needs.
Nevertheless, the fact that the major CO2 emitters such as China, India, Brazil and Indonesia have been ‘let off the hook’ as regards commitment to 1.5deg rise as well as their not having to contribute to the Loss and Damage Fund was deeply disappointing.
The other major concern was about fossil fuels. There were over 600 people at the conference representing the fossil fuel industry, with strong influence on governments. So, although the West is committed to an anti-fossil fuel stance, they are still supporting fossil fuel extraction in Latin American and African countries.
You will no doubt remember the stark warning of the UN Secretary General at the beginning of the Conference, “[We are] going to hell in a handcart, with our foot firmly on the accelerator”. But commentators are not entirely gloomy. As one of them put it, “NGOs and civil society, young and indigenous activists, philanthropy and the private sector (particularly the finance and insurance sectors), and mayors and governors played their largest role yet in driving new solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation.”
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