Loss and damage fund is welcome, need to look into mitigation and operationalization of the fund to support the most vulnerable
The just-concluded COP27, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, brought together more than 35,000 people from across the globe to deliberate on important actions for addressing the climate.
COP27, dubbed "African COP" and "Implementation COP," raised expectations that decisions from previous conferences, reflecting the needs and priorities of the most vulnerable countries, will begin to be implemented.
After two weeks of negotiations, COP27 adopted the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan "SHIP" as the main decision for guiding ambitious climate actions.
Many see the plan as a way to advance efforts from previous conferences, such as the loss and damage fund. Others, however, feel it falls short in mitigation ambitions.
The highlight of COP27 was the historic decision to establish a fund for responding to loss and damage. It is a significant milestone because it comes after almost three decades of asking and it sets a precedence for climate justice.
"The highlight of COP27 was the historic decision to establish a fund for responding to loss and damage."
Yet to be resolved, however, is the design and operationalization of the fund to support the most vulnerable, especially in the Least Developed Countries and Small Islands Developing States.
The conference did not achieve much success around mitigation. It was unable to reach agreement, for example, on phasing out of coal and other fossils fuel or setting emission peaking periods.
This impedes efforts to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5°c (above pre-industrial levels). To reach this target, we need rapid, deep and sustained reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent (compared to 2010 levels) by 2030.
As they have for many years, participants voiced concerns on delivery of climate finance commitments, especially for adaptation. COP15 delivered only a quarter of its commitment to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries for adaptation.
Authorities expect to advance a process for establishing both the new quantified climate finance goal and the adaptation goal next year. This should be guided by scientific reports and reflect actual needs of the most vulnerable countries.
For the first time in its 27-year history, the conference dedicated a day to the theme of agriculture.
"We, therefore, must urgently and boldly act to save the existence of humanity now and for generations to come." A key outcome was the launch of the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation initiative. The initiative aims to improve the quantity and quality of climate finance contributions to transform agriculture and food systems by 2030.
The role of non-state actors was again recognized -- notably youth, local communities, indigenous people, cities and civil society. All have been playing important roles in urging governments to deliver on their promises.
As the cliché goes, "the end of one COP is the start of preparations for the next one." Countries and non-state actors, therefore, will need to regroup, assess the key outcomes from COP27 and identify priorities for COP28.
Their priorities should surely include designing and operationalization of the loss and damage fund, finalizing the establishment of the adaptation goal and advancing a new quantified climate-finance goal process.
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Just as important, they will expect delivery on climate finance commitments and enhanced emission-reduction goals through National Determined Contributions and other bilateral and multilateral alliance efforts.
With the first global assessment expected to take place in the next COP, it will be crucial for countries to assess and eventually enhance their actions and support as per their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
As the UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, "Our planet is still in the emergency room and humanity is on a highway to climate hell."
We, therefore, must urgently and boldly act to save the existence of humanity now and for generations to come.
