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Sustainability Quiz 45: COP 27

Sustainability Quiz 45: COP 27

Sustainability Quiz 45. COP 27 is in full swing in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, with 196 countries, 45,000 people and 120 world leaders in attendance

COP27 started a few hours late on Sunday Nov 6th, as delegates could not agree on what was to be discussed at the conference - well at least one big sticking point -  over the question of Loss and Damage. Eventually a final agenda item directed the conference of the parties to discuss “matters relating to funding arrangements responding to loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including a focus on addressing loss and damage” and the conference commenced.



COP 27 has commenced in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt and will run until 18th November. What does COP stand for?
      Conference Of the Parties
      Climate-change Or Perish
      Coke is Odd Promoter
      Come On People

30 years of COP27

COP27 this year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the thirty years since the initial adoption, things haven't gotten much better, but it's probably reasonable to say that they could have been a whole heap worse without the recognition of the problems we face in the fight to mitigate climate change. 

Host nation: The Arab Republic of Egypt

Egypt was always an interesting choice for COP27. While the event itself is fraught with dubious commercial behaviour like last minute off the scale accommodation costs, there are also questions about Egypt's own climate credentials as a growing user of fossil fuels and for its well known human rights abuses. 

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi used very general language in his welcome address, citing the usual suspects like: "we are now able to better understand the science behind climate change, better assess its impacts, and better develop tools to address its causes and consequences."

Notwithstanding the tightrope the host president walks in addressing such an event, the bottom line is:

THE WORLD IS CURRENTLY HEADING FOR GLOBAL WARMING OF 2.8°C ABOVE PRE-INDUSTRIAL LEVELS BEFORE THE END OF THE CENTURY, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST EMISSIONS GAP REPORT RELEASED BY THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM IN LATE OCTOBER

Egypt has plenty of reasons to support climate mitigation

Almost all of Egypt's 100 million people - 95% - live in the Nile Delta, a region highly at risk from the impacts of climate change. With reduced rainfall, water is becoming increasingly scarce, and temperatures are rising. At the same time, heavy rains and flooding are becoming more frequent and more severe.

The big issue for Egypt is that large parts of the Nile Delta are flat and lie just 2 metres above sea level. As seas rise, millions of homes, lands, public infrastructure, roads and power supplies will be washed away. 

What can you do?

It's more important than ever for citizens to be aware of what goes on at events like COP27 as those in attendance are making decisions for the citizens of the world. While it may seem a world away and while Egypt's record isn't so hot for ESG credentials, they aren't alone with the attribution, so don't be side tracked by single nations. It's the behaviour of the world that dictates what happens next.  

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