The 27th annual UN ‘Conference of the Parties’, COP27 has brought together more than 120 heads of state in a global discussion to tackle climate change. Some say COP27 has been billed as the world’s last chance to prevent global warming of more than 1.5C above historic levels. However, there seems to be significantly less news coverage of COP27 in the UK than there was last year for COP26 – when the climate crisis worsens each year.
Here is a short round up of some the discussions and commitments made at this years COP.
- This year sees the first official space for young people at COP27 as the first ever ‘Children and Youth Pavilion’ was hosted by young people to give them a crucial platform to tell world leaders what they want to see at the global climate conference. With over half of the world’s children living in areas at high risk of climate and environmental hazards, children are most at risk from the climate crisis so it is only right that they are given a ‘seat at the table’ and the chance to amplify the youth’s voice without the barriers and obstacles they often meet at these official events. After hours of discussions, the Official Youth Constituency at the UNFCC secured official recognition of youth as stakeholders in designing and implementing climate policies. This recognition means that they can go to Governments and ask to be included in national delegations.
- More than 25 countries have launched the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership, which they say will ensure they hold each other accountable for a pledge to end deforestation by 2030. They have announced billions of dollars to finance their efforts.
- Countries representing more than half of the global economy have specified the steps they will take to help accelerate the low-carbon transition by cutting emissions in sectors including power, transport and steel.
- Many countries have pledged further packages of climate support including the UK providing £65.5m ($77.5m) for the Clean Energy Innovation Facility, which provides grants to academics in developing countries accelerate the development of clean technology.
- Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have signed an alliance dubbed ‘the OPEC of rainforests’ at the G20 summit this week, to coordinate efforts to conserve the remaining tropical rainforests within their borders. Brazil’s incoming President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has already indicated that he intends to end Amazon deforestation – though this new alliance with Indonesia and the DRC was actually signed by the outgoing government of Jair Bolsonaro.
