What is COP27?
On November 3, John Flo, Director of the International Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia Climate Institute, briefly introduced the Global Climate Change Conference held in Egypt this year.
You may have seen about COP27, the 27th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference will be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6 to 18. But what actually happens there and how is it different?
November 3rd, John FloDean of Columbia Climate Institute International Institute for Climate and Societyintroduces students to COP101, an event that breaks down the global climate summit – including who goes, what it is and why it matters for climate action.
From a conference standpoint, Furlow told the audience to consider flying by plane. Imagine, he said, 196 people on a flight with only two first-class passengers and 4,000 pounds of luggage. There were 24 people in business class with an additional 4,000 pounds of luggage, while everyone else traveled in the coach, with a combined weight between them of 2,000 pounds—a little over 11 pounds each.
Now imagine the pilot declares the plane overweight and passengers have to decide how to remove or redistribute the excess luggage before anyone takes off. Who will have to make the biggest sacrifice – those who have travelled light and have little carry-on luggage, or those who have extra luggage but have the most resources to pay for first class?
John Furlow is Director of the International Institute for Climate and Society at the Columbia Climate Institute. He has attended about a dozen COP meetings and will be at COP27.
In short, these are the questions posed to the COP signatories—it’s up to them to decide how to stabilize and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, Furlow explained. There’s a reason there are only two passengers in first class in this analogy — China and the US are first class. largest launcher Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions are far ahead, followed by the European Union. So what responsibility do China and the US have to countries (all passengers) that have to suffer the consequences of a rapidly changing planet? What leverage do developing countries have to hold the largest emitters accountable?
Furlow discusses these and other key agenda items in his COP27 Student Primer.
Who participates in the COP?
At the meeting you will see negotiators or representatives of the 196 countries that have signed up to the UN Climate Framework (and the EU), members of the UN Secretariat and other UN agencies, NGOs, universities including Columbia Climate School, private companies and religious groups, Furlow said. You might also find celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore, as well as vegans handing out sandwiches outside the gate to encourage dietary changes, as a way to reduce the global carbon footprint, he added. Point out that this almost feels like a trade show.
During the COP, there will be concurrent meetings, including meetings of members of the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and other subsidiary bodies, Furlow said. While theoretically taking place during the day during traditional business hours, meetings often extend into the night.
This grueling schedule is especially difficult for many delegates from developing countries already hardest hit by climate change, who often have to stay away from convention centers due to overpriced hotels near the venue. Furlow noted that they spent more time commuting, creating a microcosm of some of the resource differences the conference was trying to address. Some members bring toothbrushes to meetings, he said.
What are the main topics of COP27?
Mitigation is the most important topic being discussed, Flo told the room. How will we stop emitting so much carbon? How will we remove carbon from the atmosphere to stabilize the planet at levels that avoid dangerous consequences? How will we limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius?
In recent years, adaptation strategies – or adaptation to the damage already done by climate change – have also played a more central role in the COP; while at earlier meetings it was thought that too much focus on adaptation would be an acknowledgment of failure of mitigation efforts, he said .
Other key topics at this year’s COP include:
- loss and damage– Whether and how the countries that contribute the most to climate change are responsible for compensating the small and developing countries that bear the brunt.
- Climate finance: who will pay for these losses and how will the amount be determined?
- Capacity building: how can countries be provided with training and infrastructure to use these funds in the most efficient way?
- Action for Climate Empowerment: Can Empowering Youth Climate Movements and Educational Initiatives Influence Public Sentiment and Spur Action?
- Local Action: What can states, cities and other local groups do to bring about change?
- Private sector action: How will businesses and private companies contribute to climate initiatives and help countries achieve their mitigation and adaptation goals?
What does COP27 need to do to be successful?
For COP27 to make real change, Furlow says we need more resources to adapt; stronger commitments from countries – especially those with the highest emitters – to hold countries accountable when mitigation and adaptation targets are not met responsibility plans; take effective action against loss and damage, including agreeing on how much wealth richer countries owe developing countries that are suffering from climate change; and focus on building capacity to ensure we use the right channels and initiatives to deliver funding to those who need it most.
“The most important thing is not what happens at the COP,” he told the audience. “That’s what happens when everyone goes home. If everyone comes home happy with the commitments they made, but we don’t take action, nothing will change.”
