The United Nations Climate Conference, COP 27, began this week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, at a resort on the Red Sea. It is touted as being “the world’s best hope of progress on the climate issue” by UN officials.
Over the past few weeks the messages coming out of the UN and broadcast throughout global media describe current efforts as “woefully inadequate” and state that the world is headed for “climate catastrophe.”
COP 27 is being attended by tens of thousands of people from around the globe: politicians, scientists, diplomats, corporate executives, environmentalists, Indigenous groups, among many others.
The main thrust outlined by the Egyptian hosts is implementation of the financial pledges made at past COP conferences. It is primarily about cash being transferred to help developing countries tackle the effects of climate change, which is at least 80 per cent the result of the activities of wealthy nations burning fossil fuels in a variety of ways, and engaging in industrial levels of agriculture.
Developing nations are said to be very angry by what they see as the high income countries not following through on past pledges right back to the Paris Agreement of 2015. so a high level of tension and confrontation is expected. The wealthy world has definitely not honoured previously made commitments.
In 2009, 100 billion US dollars were promised to help the developing world cut its own emissions, which are a small fraction of the global total, and adapt to the changing climate. It is expected to be delivered next year, three years late, given progress at this event.
For detailed information on COP 27, which will have a formal agenda until November 18, go to unfccc.int/cop27.
Of particular note on the local level, First Nations leaders from BC have formed a delegation which will present a package on the environment and climate change at COP 27 in the hope of influencing domestic climate policy.
Many Indigenous groups from around the world have been invited to the conference, including from BC. They intend to present the same climate action plan that was shared with provincial and federal governments recently. This presentation will focus on nature-based climate solutions, energy systems, and the importance of Indigenous leadership.
The First Nations group from BC has a number of objectives in attending COP 27. Reducing poverty in First Nations communities, as has already been achieved in some cases, by implementing innovative climate policies is one. Attendance is also seen as an “opportunity to achieve the reconciliation objective of decolonization” in concert with decarbonization.
First Nations want to be part of meeting climate change goals, rebuilding and making decisions in resource and energy matters.
The BC First Nations delegation is intending to work collaboratively with other Indigenous people from around the world to mitigate and adapt to climate change. They are an integral part of the Canadian delegation.
Good luck to all!
William Lytle-McGhee is a member of qathet Climate Alliance.
