2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) is set to be held from November 6 to 18 this year.

What is COP?

The Conference of Parties (COP) is the apex decision making body responsible for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP presidency rotates among 5 UN regions – Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and others. Egypt will assume the Presidency of COP 27.

Who will host the COP27?

The Government of Egypt will host the 27^th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) at Sharm El Sheikh. This is the fifth time that a Conference of the Parties (COP) is being held in Africa. It is expected to bring global attention to the climate crisis faced by Africa – one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to climate change.

Who will attend the event?

More than 200 governments were invited to attend the COP27. Environmental charities, community groups, think tanks, businesses and faith groups will also take part in this global event.

What are the focus areas of COP27?

The COP27 will focus on three main objectives – emission reduction, help countries prepare and respond to climate change and provide technical aid and funding for developing countries to respond to climate change.

What major challenges will COP27 address?

Climate finance will be the major sticking point at the COP27. In 2009, the developed countries committed to provide 100 billion USD aid each year to developing countries by 2020 to help them minimise emissions and respond to climate change. This target was missed and deferred to 2023. Presently, developing countries are demanding payments for loss and damage caused by carbon emissions by developed economies. These countries argue that they suffer impact of climate change more than richer nations and have less financial capacity to address it. They are demanding the US and Europe to compensate for this. However, the US and Europe do not agree as they fear that if they compensate for their historic emissions, it could cost their economies billions of dollars for decades or even centuries into the future.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2022

Category: Environment Current Affairs • Summits and Conferences