The Next Century Foundation in the honour of COP27 will be writing 27 article series regularly. The first article introduces to COP (Conferences of Parties) to the general reader. Happy reading !!
What the hell is COP ?
It is a misfortune that there are people who think that climate change is a hoax. What if I was to tell you that 1 degree celsius rise can cause storms, heat, floods and drought ? Such destructive activity intuitively affects not only the ecosystem, it also disturbs the socio-economic conditions too.
COP or Conference of Parties is a supreme decision-making body where 197 nations and territories under United Nations Framework for climate change negotiate sustainable legal instruments annually since 1995. The most remarkable COP over the two decades was the COP21 held in Paris. It led to a land-mark agreement called Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement united every nation to enhance their climate resilient pathways collectively. The parties to the agreement have also acknowledge the principles of differentiated responsibilities where Article 4.4 make the developed country accountable for their unsustainable industrialisation over the years. It has ever since brought hope to environmentalist that climate change is slowly becoming a top priority for governments around the world.
What to expect from this COP?
This year, Conference of Parties is being held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. It will be held on 6-11th November. The delegation to such conferences are no longer just dignitaries. The delegations cater to a more multi-stakeholder approach where NGOs and IGOs are equally vocal about their demands for a more equitable climate policy for societies. The recent COP26 has been panned as the most unorganised, exclusionary and least effective conference. The COPs have demerits where certain developed countries with significant investments in non-renewable energy sources opt out from making strong commitment to protect the environment. Nevertheless, one can’t dismiss such conferences just as mere gymnastic event of “should” and “shall”. These conferences are a way to facilitate dialogues between nations. It gives hope to every environmentalists that climate change is being discussed seriously by influential stakeholders globally.
The COP27 will primarily reviewing sessions related to climate financing, Nationally appropriate mitigation action for developing countries and gender responsive climate policies. The conference will be held in the backdrop of Russia-Ukraine war and energy crisis. The COP27 is receiving flak from several environmental activists and several stakeholders already for multiple reasons. One has to acknowledge that energy crisis in will force majority of the countries to not strengthen their nationally determined contributions or it may be a vice-versa. The geopolitical tension has set out a more pessimistic tone to the conference already.
Conclusion
The conference like past conferences is bound to be met with skepticism. One cannot predict the outcome of these conferences. Conference of Parties over the years have got the same level of attention as UNHCR sessions. It suggests that climate change is no longer a “scientific” issue. It is a global issue. The COP27 being held in Egypt has become a matter of discussion in the international media. It is open to speculation that this may be the most lack-lustre COP. Nevertheless, one should be advised against making premature comments on such matters. That’s COP27 in nutshell.
One Response
The Next Century Foundation is well known for its commitment to facilitating partnerships of the willing, working towards making conflicts less violent, even if they cannot yet be settled. (Violence here means not just direct violence, but also structural and cultural violence.)
Climate change is a driver for all three.
It is significant that COP 27 is taking place in Africa, the continent with the fastest growing and youngest population in the world. With this come both the greatest challenges and the greatest opportunities. Challenges because of growing population pressures on already compromised habitats and livelihoods with all the drivers for conflict this brings with it. Opportunities because of the potential for harnessing the energy and creativity of the next generation for innovative green solutions . Young entrepreneurs are already transforming business and knowledge networks to improve economic productivity and social organisation, using the IT revolution to build a whole new range of partnerships for novel ways of addressing the challenges of our time.
MENA countries (LAS SCIDS) and African cities (ICLEI) have developed ambitious plans for decarbonising and regreening habitats through better land , water and waste management, building wide ranging cooperative partnerships and more fit for purpose governance structures, adapting infrastructure to the needs of people both in built and rural environments.
These are the preconditions for turning strategies and policies into coherent implementation plans that allow for costed roadmaps for phasing down fossil fuel based economies and phasing in green growth, supported by blended finance through public private partnerships.
This will be easier for mitigation because there are profits to be made .
Initiatives for investing in adaptation and restoration of habitats and compensating for damage and loss, need new monies, regulated by different financial instruments, such as grants and debt cancellation, and crucially microfinance, as a delivery mechanism. Incentivising
financiers to invest in adaptation and restoration requires radically rethinking what solidarity and thriveabilty as defined by the SDG Agenda actually mean in practice. Development aid needs to be rethought as long term investment in value chains, such as some of the new tradeable multi billion Green Funds, structured over three tranches spanning 12O odd years. It means making a real commitment to more equitable redistribution of wealth for the benefit of all. (Islamic principles of banking and some of the new financial products may show the way. )
COP 27 must not become a talkshop for people in suits, but a gathering of determined and courageous people, willing to roll up their sleeves and to act on what is clearly now an emergency. What emerges is a great opportunity for renewal and for the transformation of
how we organise our life together on this shared and finite globe, in solidarity. As Greta Thunberg said yesterday, it is the work of hope as concerted action towards building a thriveable future for all where no one is left behind.