COP27 and what it means for COP28 in Dubai
Civil Society March at COP27
Our time at COP27 has drawn to an end and we now reflect on what was achieved and what more is needed as we look ahead to COP28 in Dubai, which is also where Earth Matters is based. We cannot look to cover the entire suite of issues, but wanted to pick a few that really stood out for us.
Loss & Damage
Loss and Damage (L&D) has been on the agenda at COP27 for the first time this year, with a ground-breaking agreement to establish a fund that will be paid for by public and private finance. The details will need to be worked out, but the fund is meant to help the most vulnerable countries access finance for the loss and damage they face from extreme climate events. This loss and damage deal, hailed as a historic moment, is most importantly about building trust and solidarity.
Beyond L&D, COP27 didn’t make any real progress in closing the gap to the 1.5 °C goal compared to Glasgow, which is deeply concerning. If we go beyond 1.5 °C then it will cost more for adaptation and L&D, which is a glaring contradiction to the agreement made at COP27. However, the L&D Fund does help to build trust from developing countries towards developed countries, the details of which are set to be ironed out through two workshops being organised by the UNFCCC Secretariat, before COP28.
Civil Society Action, Adaptation and Resilience
The importance of civil society action on climate change was also well demonstrated at COP27, with the addition of the Children and Youth Pavilion, the first of its kind at COP. After all, it’s our children who will have to live with a world that will be much warmer and hostile than ever before, so there should be more emphasis on making COP more accessible and relevant to younger audiences. We found the children’s pavilion very moving, creative and full of hope and energy – along with a stark reminder that everything that is agreed now will affect their futures forever.
Children and Youth Pavilion
Adaptation and Resilience Day also brought us some fantastic examples of how youth are making themselves present at COP, including an inspirational address by Emtithal (Emi) Mahmoud, Poet, Activist, Founder and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador (56 minutes onwards here ) and an invigorating performance by AY Young at the Resilience Hub:
Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions
Biodiversity Day at COP27 emphasised the interrelationship between nature and a stable climate and how there are many positive synergies in addressing both issues together. The highlight of the day was the launch of The ENACT Partnership on Nature-based solutions, a collaborative initiative to drive forward the uptake and implementation of NbS.
““Nature-based Solutions have the potential to save up to 10GT of CO₂ per year - more than the emissions from the entire global transportation sector - as well as the potential to reduce the intensity of climate hazards by 26 percent, with potential cost savings from climate change impacts of USD 104 billion by 2030 and USD 393 billion by 2050.“”
Strong rationale indeed for launching The ENACT Partnership, Find out more information here
Take a look at our latest report for the World Government Summit on How Nature-Based Solutions in Coastal Areas can Help Address Global Crises
Specialising in this area of climate change, Earth Matters has worked on a number of reports and participated in events specifically on Nature-based Solutions - at COP27 we moderated an event at the UAE Pavilion, on Blue Carbon and Nature-based Solutions in the UAE.
COP27 Nature-based Solutions in the UAE event moderated by Tanzeed Alam, Managing Director of Earth Matters Consulting
Fossil Fuel Industry
There was a strong presence from the oil and gas industry at COP27 this year - up 25% on last year with approx 636 country delegate/trade team attendees. Their influence was noticeably reflected in the final text, which failed to include a reference to the phasing out of all fossil fuels, an anticipated advance on last year's agreement to phase down the use of coal.
“The fact that the outcome only talks about ‘phase-down of unabated coal power’ is a disaster for Africa and for the climate”
COP28 in the UAE
With COP28 to be held in Dubai next year, it will undoubtedly be a challenging time for the UAE and wider asian region, as the world’s focus will turn on them. However, there is much to champion at COP28 and this is where the focus should be channeled - moves towards renewable energy and energy efficiency, for example.
The UAE was one of only a handful of countries that took action from Glasgow and enhanced their NDCs with a more ambitious 2030 target. The UAE also launched its National Net Zero by 2050 Pathway at The UAE Pavilion, that will drive the implementation of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, demonstrating again its willingness to lead on the topic.
The UAE’s delegation was also one that had a lot of young and female negotiators, which was very positive to see and engage with. As a major exporter of oil and gas, the UAE has a great opportunity to chart out a road map for a just transition of the oil and gas sector, including how people can be transitioned to new jobs in clean energy and climate-friendly low carbon development.
COP28 will be a big event and a milestone for the world. It will take stock of where we have landed since the historic Paris Agreement, and will seek to close the global gap on climate action. We stand ready to support any organisation that needs our help along the way.
CONTACT US IF YOU WANT TO PARTNER WITH US, WE AT EARTH MATTERS CONSULTING ARE READY TO SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY, WHETHER YOU ARE A BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT ON NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION.
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