Conference of Parties (cop 27): How far, how near in the fight against climate change The 27th edition of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) concluded in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
If we talk about the annual Conference of the Parties, it is the highest decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
It serves to review national communications and emissions inventories submitted by the Parties. Along with this, it also works towards assessing the effectiveness of the measures taken by the Parties and the progress made in achieving the objectives of the Convention.
How important is climate change in today’s time? This is also confirmed by the report of the Inter-Governmental Group on Climate Change. According to the IPCC report 2018, CO2 emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 compared to 2010 levels to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.
That’s why COP is available every year. Its first conference (COP1) was held in Berlin in 1995. The secretariat of the COP is located in Bonn.
If we talk about United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC was formed in 1994 to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions and protect the earth from the threat of climate change. Participants in COP are signatories of UNFCCC and since 1995 are meeting every year. Currently, UNFCCC has 198 members.
It is one of the three Rio conventions – the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
At COP 27, countries have come together to take action towards achieving the world’s collective climate goals as agreed upon under the Paris Agreement and Conventions.
This conference took place in the continent of Africa this time. It was organized in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, located in North Africa. It is the first COP to be held in a developing country since COP 22 in Marrakesh in 2016.
It seeks to accelerate global climate action through emissions reductions, enhanced adaptation efforts and increased flows of appropriate finance.
If we talk about the agenda of COP 27, then it is mentioned in the following points-
(1) Mitigation – The world is not on track to achieve the stated goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 or 2 °C.
(2)Adaptation – In COP 26, the Glasgow-Sharm El-Sheikh (GlaSS) work program was established to define global targets on adaptation (GGA) and establish robust tracking mechanisms until 2023.
(3) Finance – At COP 26, developed countries noted that the US$100 billion target for climate finance, first set in 2009, has not been met and is expected to be met only by 2023 .
(4) Loss and Damage – In COP 26, the G77 and the China negotiating bloc (representing 80% of the world’s population) demanded a Loss and Damage (L&D) finance facility.
-OJAANK SHUKLA
( DIRECTOR – OJAANK IAS )