The "Parties" refer to the 197 nations that agreed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.
Starting today, 6th November 2022, more than 50,000 attendees will gather at the Conference Centre, Sharm el-Sheikh for the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). The annual convening of governments around the world, representatives from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and nearly thousands of journalists to discuss climate change issues is referred to as the Conference of the Parties (COP).
COP is a platform where global leaders lay out their plans on how to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees and aim for 1.5 degrees, to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, and to make money available to deliver on these aims.
COP26 in 2021 set the strategy for closing out the 2020-2030 decade. It was a COP that mobilised efforts to deliver on pledges made at COP21 in Paris seven years ago.
Who are the Parties?
The "Parties" refer to the 197 nations that agreed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992. In June 1992, representatives from 172 countries gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), commonly called the Earth Summit.
The Earth Summit was an unprecedented meeting of representatives, including 108 heads of state, 2,400 representatives from various non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and nearly 10,000 journalists. An additional 17,000 NGO representatives attended a parallel NGO forum that provided recommendations to the Earth Summit.
At the summit, the countries signed a treaty promising to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and prevent dangerous changes to the climate. Almost every year since then, the parties to this agreement have met to talk about what still needs to be done.
Since then, there have been annual convenings to discuss progress on global climate change ambitions.
The Paris Agreement
The Paris agreement is an international agreement on climate change that is legally binding. At COP 21 in Paris, it was approved by 196 Parties on 12 December 2015, and it became effective on 4 November 2016.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries committed themselves to cooperatively reduce greenhouse emissions to keep the earth from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Poorer countries have also been offered huge sums of money to assist them to cope with climate change and cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
The Paris Agreement calls for countries to take progressively aggressive climate action over a five-year period.
COP27 and Egpyt Presidency
This year is the 27th annual summit - giving it the name COP27. With Egypt as President, COP27 will be held from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. In Sharm, on the eve of COP27, Egypt's presidency honoured the moment through the illumination of Egypt's historic pyramids. It lit up the Khafre Pyramid, one of the three ancient pyramids of Giza that dates back 4,500 years.
The "implementation COP"
Egypt will take over the COP Presidency and around 45,000 international delegates are expected to come together to advance the world's climate agenda by increasing ambition and accelerating climate action.
Tagged the "implementation COP", COP27 is expected to be one of the largest COP summits ever hosted.
It will be the transition of nations from rhetoric to concrete action. The Paris Agreement has been the subject of ongoing talks since 2015, but after the Paris Rulebook was finished at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, implementation is anticipated to start this year.
A new report from the United Nations Climate Change secretariat has indicated that the current commitments will still increase emissions by 10.6 per cent by 2030, and will spell doom for humanity if more efforts are not made by the concerned parties.
COP 27 will start with the Climate Implementation Summit, which will gather over 100 world leaders scheduled for 7 and 8 November 2022.
The Climate Action agenda to be discussed during COP27 will focus on bringing the world together for implementation to ensure a just and sustainable future for all. A report has shown that the combined climate pledges of 193 Parties under the Paris Agreement could put the world on track for around 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century, so it is important for the implementation summit to set the agenda.
More than 50,000 attendees are registered and expected to participate in COP27 and the Egyptian Presidency has designated several key thematic days that will include pledging opportunities, discussions, roundtables, and side events. The thematic days are part of efforts to advance climate action that can address existing implementation bottlenecks and gaps and deepen engagement with youth, women, civil society and indigenous people.
The Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit, which includes all participating heads of state and government, will begin tomorrow and last for two days. Tens of world leaders will participate in a number of roundtable discussions after the summit's opening to focus on six main issues: Just Transitions, Food Security, Innovative Finance for Climate and Development, Investing in the Future of Energy, Water Security, and Climate Change and The Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities.
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According to COP27 President and Egypt's Foreign Minister H.E. Sameh Shoukry, countries should show faith in multilateralism over the next two weeks as they negotiate to deliver on the goals of the Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement.
While addressing climate envoys and delegates, COP President Sameh Shoukry said:
"It comes as no surprise to anyone that the COP is being held this year in a world which is witnessing political turmoil that cast a long shadow on all our nations and has resulted in energy and food crises; however, these challenges should be no reason for delaying our collective effort to fight climate change. It is inherent on us all in Sharm El Sheikh to demonstrate our recognition of the magnitude of the challenges we face and our steadfast resolve to overcome it."
Mr Shoukry said Egypt provides the best framework for COP27 to coordinate and converge multiple views, promoting transparent, inclusive and fruitful discussions to achieve the best possible outcome.
