After long and difficult negotiations which far exceeded the planned timetable, COP27 ended this Sunday, November 20, at dawn, after the adoption of a highly disputed text on aid to poor countries affected by the climate change. On the other hand, no trace of new ambitions for the reduction of greenhouse gases. “It was not easy” but “we finally fulfilled our mission”, underlined the Egyptian president of the conference, Sameh Choukri. However, the results remain mixed and the commitments deemed insufficient in relation to the extent of the climate crisis.
One of the main criticisms: being concerned about the consequences of global warming without naming or limiting its causes. “The world will not thank us when it only hears excuses tomorrow,” laments Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission. Same observation for Nathalie Unterstell, president of the Talanoa think tank. “COP27 failed to deliver an ambitious vision for adaptation, with consequences for protecting people and the planet. Latin American people and our diverse and rich nature will pay the price for inaction. ”
- A historic agreement on aid to poor countries
This edition was therefore marked by the adoption of an emblematic resolution, described as historic by its promoters, on compensation for the damage caused by climate change already suffered by the poorest countries. This issue of climate “losses and damage” almost derailed the conference, before being the subject of a last-minute compromise text. While it leaves many questions unanswered, it nevertheless enacts the principle of the creation of a specific financial fund.
“Loss and damage in vulnerable countries can no longer be ignored even if some developed countries had decided to ignore our suffering,” said young Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate. For his part, Avinash Persaud, special envoy of the Prime Minister of Barbados, speaks of a “historic decision and a “small victory for humanity”.
- Reduction of emissions: no new ambition
The final declaration adopted, the result of many compromises, calls for a “rapid” reduction in emissions, but without new ambition compared to the last COP in Glasgow, in 2021. “We must drastically reduce emissions now – and that is a question that this COP has not answered”, regretted the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In the aftermath, the European Union said it was “disappointed” by the emissions agreement.
Many countries considered that the texts proposed by the Egyptian presidency constituted a step backwards on the commitments, made in Glasgow, to regularly raise the level. In particular on the most ambitious objective of the Paris agreement, that is to say to contain global warming at 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era – which is however reaffirmed in the final decision. “This COP has weakened the obligations for countries to present new and more ambitious commitments”, regretted Laurence Tubiana, architect of the Paris agreements of 2015.
- The failure of COP27 on fossil fuels
The COP fails to tackle fossil fuels, yet the main culprits of global warming. Coal had been cited in 2021 after tough exchanges but in Sharm el-Sheikh, the “usual suspects”, in the words of one delegate, once again opposed it for oil and gas. For example Saudi Arabia, Iran or Russia, countries often cited. The development of renewables is however the subject of an unprecedented mention alongside “low emission” energies, an expression generally applied to nuclear power.
COP27 only mentions that countries commit to “accelerating efforts towards the gradual reduction of the use of carbon without capture (of CO2) and the elimination of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”. Oil and gas are not mentioned, while achieving carbon neutrality means no longer building any fossil fuel facilities. CO2 emissions produced by the consumption of fossil fuels – oil, gas or coal – will exceed their record level in 2022, after the air hole due to Covid, according to a reference study published on November 11.
“The fossil fuel industry and the elites in their pockets have rallied to take control of COP27. This is the latest act of desperate men who first denied climate science, then delayed climate policy. , and now want to usurp real climate solutions with false solutions,” laments Catherine Abreu, director of Destination Zero. The conference welcomed “a record 636 lobbyists from this industry (fossil fuels) and gave rise, behind the scenes, to the conclusion of around twenty gas contracts”, pin The world.
- A highly criticized Egyptian presidency
Organizing the United Nations climate conference, which brings together up to 35,000 people from 195 countries each year, is a huge logistical challenge. But this year, the problems encountered at this event held in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh were such that they were impossible to ignore, perhaps the most fundamental being the accessibility. In addition, the COP was marked by calls to release Egyptian political prisoner Alaa Abdel Fattah, who ended his hunger strike earlier this week. “Elsewhere in Sharm el-Sheikh, it was a silent and chilling COP for many activists. The legacy of those fighting for civic space and human rights will live on,” said Laurence Tubiana.
- Next stop: COP15 Nature
The decision makes no reference to COP15 on biodiversity. This conference, which will take place from December 5 to 17 in Montreal, must draw a new global framework to try to put an end, by 2030, to the destruction of ecosystems. The opportunity for world leaders to come together to accept an ambitious global deal for nature. “After two years of postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the stakes are high, none of the previous global objectives covering the period 2010-2020 have been achieved and the pressure on natural environments continues to increase. ‘increase’, emphasizes the UN.