Two weeks of UN talks in Egypt follow a year of wild weather disturbances.
An international climate summit starting next week in Egypt will test nations’ resolve to tackle global warming, even as many of the biggest players in Europe face immediate crises ranging from war to rampant consumer inflation. distracted by.
More than 30,000 delegates, including representatives from nearly 200 countries, will gather in the seaside city of Sharm el-Sheikh on November 6-18 to provide information on how to slow climate change and how to feel its effects already. people can be helped.
But with nations dealing with the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as soaring food and fuel prices and a stalemate in economic growth, the question is whether they will be quick and ambitious to avoid the worst effects of climate change. will work as
Experts say the coolness of relations between China and the United States, the top greenhouse gas emitters this year, is not good.
A United Nations report released last week showed that most countries fall behind on their current commitments to cut carbon output, with global greenhouse gas emissions on track to rise 10.6% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.
Scientists say emissions must fall 43% by that time in order to limit global warming to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) above pre-industrial temperatures—the range above which climate change risks spiraling out of control.
According to the UN climate agency, only 24 of the nearly 200 countries participating in the COP27 talks have submitted new or updated emissions-reduction plans since last year’s UN climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, even though all committed to do so.
Some countries, including Chile, Mexico and Turkey, are expected to release new plans during the Egypt summit, but it is not clear whether any major developing economies such as China and India will be among them.
“There is little chance for China to take another big step beyond COP27, which is familiar with the government’s thinking,” said Li Shuo, a China climate expert at environmental group Greenpeace.
E3G international climate policy expert Alden Meyer said the escalation of diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing on issues including the war in Taiwan and Ukraine was a major direction for global climate progress, adding that past cooperation between the two has helped boost climate talks. has helped.
“Is it possible to make progress without the cooperation of the US and China? Yes, it is, but it is not easy,” he said.
Meanwhile, the administration of US President Joe Biden is urging US and international oil and gas drillers to ramp up production to address tight global markets, low consumer prices and supply disruptions linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine. – Showing how energy shortages changed the policy priorities of a president who campaigned on a promise to end the fossil fuel era quickly.
The US delegation at the UN conference is likely to talk about Biden’s legislative victory on climate change, including passing the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes billions of dollars in subsidies for wind and solar power and electric vehicles .
loss and damage
Two-week UN talks in Egypt follow a year of wild weather disturbances around the world, as global warming takes a toll – from devastating floods in Pakistan, South Africa and Nigeria to heatwaves and record heatwaves in the Arctic and across Europe Drought in the American West and France until -setting.
The talks are likely to focus on how these and other countries most affected by climate change can be compensated by the wealthy countries that are believed to have caused it. Other topics will include how international financial institutions such as the World Bank can be reformed to overcome the transition from fossil fuels.
Prosperous nations, including the United States and members of the European Union, have opposed previous proposals for a “loss and damage” fund over concerns about their liabilities, a controversial issue of raising new funds to compensate for climate-driven destruction.
US Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry said last week that the United States supports a serious dialogue on the subject at COP27, but said the issue was difficult given the upcoming congressional election that would allow Republican control to the legislative body. could lead to.
He also pointed out that the United States is the largest donor of global humanitarian aid and will focus on increasing spending on climate adaptation.
That message seems hollow to some.
“I don’t want to hear political rhetoric about loss and damage. I don’t want to hear what countries are already doing in terms of disaster relief, because that’s not enough,” Maldivian Climate Minister Aminath Shouna said. Lower parts of the Indian Ocean island chain facing future flooding with sea level rise.
Talks were boosted by Brazil’s election on Sunday of leftist leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whose team called for an international summit on the fate of the Amazon to halt deforestation.
The talks could also highlight natural gas given its importance to the host continent. Petroleum-rich African countries argue that they have a right to develop their resources, especially as Europe scrambles to find new suppliers to replace Russia.
Lily Odarno, director of the Clean Air Task Force’s Africa Climate Program, said: “African nations are going to invoke the hypocrisy of Europe securing gas deals in the name of energy security, while allowing African countries to divert their resources to baseload energy. Telling not to develop.”
Egypt’s chief climate negotiator, Mohamed Nasr, has said the summit’s success will be measured by whether countries deliver a package of agreements that live up to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C, while ensuring We want poor countries to be treated fairly and get the support that rich countries have promised.
“Climate change is not giving us any room to breathe,” Nasr said. “Science is telling us that we are not on the path to anything.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)