The annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) took place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt between 6 and 18 November. The annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) which took place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt between 6 and 18 November has just finished. Unlike the “big COP” which takes place once every 5 years, and where major commitments are made, this year´s conference was an “implementation COP”.
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COP27: Need for more climate adaptation as the 1.5 °C target is slipping away
The start of the conference was marked by a grim recognition – that the world has missed the 1.5 °C target agreed on in the Paris Agreement. A week ahead of the summit, UNEP released the Emissions Gap Report 2022[1] outlining how there was "no credible pathway" to limiting a global temperature increase to 1.5°C and that mitigation efforts since COP26 had been "woefully inadequate".[2] Despite many doubts about its feasibility, the target was upheld during COP27.
Photo: official website of the COP27, Joe Biden at COP27 on 12 November 2022
The scientific feasibility of the 1.5°C target had been earlier questioned by China and India at the August G20 meeting. And according to Britain’s Met Office and the World Meteorological Organization, there is a 48% chance that global average temperatures will be 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial in at least one of the next five years.[3]
Hence, this importance of climate adaptation is becoming clear and was one of the major themes of this year’s conference. Another key topic was the highly controversial “Loss and Damage” (L&D) or direct funds from rich countries to developing ones to help them adapt to climate change, and “Just Transition” which refers to making sure that the social implications of making economies greener are being addressed.
For those who prefer listening to reading, you can find great coverage of COP27 in a four-part Babbage podcast mini-series by the Economist.
