LAST UPDATE | 6 Nov 2022

Lauren Boland reports from COP27

ALL EYES ARE turning to Egypt as tens of thousands of delegates arrive for the first day of COP27, a major international climate conference led by the United Nations.

Negotiators will carve out climate commitments, world leaders will try to paint their country’s progress in the best possible light, and experts, NGOs and activists will be closely watching to see whether there is any meat to the bones of this COP.

Among them will be the Irish delegation, comprised of politicians, officials, and an assortment of experts and campaigners.

Some have already arrived at the conference, with more to attend at various points over the next two weeks.

It’s understood that the official delegation’s focus will be on issues such as loss and damage caused by climate change, financial support for developing countries, and emissions reductions in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Four Cabinet ministers are making the trip over the next two weeks: Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid Colm Brophy and Minister for Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan.

The government is also sending officials from several other departments and agencies, who will be joined by university staff and students, charities, and climate campaigners.

The Taoiseach is due to deliver Ireland’s national statement to the conference tomorrow afternoon during the World Leaders’ Summit, which sees heads of states and governments convene for two days, according to a provisional list of speakers.

Last year, he used his speech at COP26 in Glasgow to state that “those of us in the developed world – those who have, frankly, contributed most to the problems that confront us all – have an obligation to support those who are most acutely challenged by their consequences”.

“Ireland accepts that obligation,” he asserted.

During his two days at the summit this year, he will participate in several high-level events and roundatables on food security and the sustainability of vulnerable communities.

He will meet President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for a working breakfast on finance for vulnerable countries and have several bilateral meetings with other leaders.

Before his arrival tomorrow, the Taoiseach has said in a statement today that “climate change is the single greatest challenge the world faces” and that its effects “are already being felt in more extreme weather events, and its consequences are fuelling conflict, global instability, competition for resources and abject human misery in some of the world’s poorest countries”.

“Political leaders meeting at COP27 have a special responsibility to urgently drive the transformation needed to secure the sustainable future of our planet and its people,” he said.

It is very clear that some of the countries that contributed least to climate change are bearing the worst brunt of its impacts.

“Many of these vulnerable countries lack the resources they need to deal with the challenges they face.

“I expect that climate finance will be a prominent issue in our discussions at the summit and I hope that developed countries will step up, ensuring that commitments entered into at previous meetings are delivered.”

The Taoiseach will be followed shortly afterwards by Ministers Simon Coveney and Colm Brophy from the Department of Foreign Affairs, who are expected to be looking in particular at issues linked to security and supports for vulnerable countries.

In September, Minister Brophy travelled to Kenya and South Sudan in the Horn of Africa, which is experiencing devastating food shortages, where he said that “this is a climate change-induced issue and it is heading in the direction of a famine”.

“Whole communities are having their way of life destroyed and their ability to feed themselves destroyed.”

Finally, Climate Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan is due to attend the second week of the conference, supporting the EU negotiating bloc that Ireland is represented by and advocating for Ireland’s climate priorities.

He is expected to promote greater ambition on accelerating the move away from fossil fuels and calls for climate finance for vulnerable countries.

In a statement today, Minister Ryan said the “devastating effects of climate change are clear to all” and that “we know we must act now to protect people and the planet, and it is vital that we act together”.

“We have to move as hard and as fast as possible to reduce our emissions. Every kg of emissions saved matters at this stage.

“COP27 is an opportunity to work together to keep commitments already made on track and to make further progress on net zero ambitions.”

Many of the core discussions at COP27 will be attempting to build upon the Glasgow Pact agreed at last year’s summit, which fell short of expectations on those high-profile issues of fossil fuel-phaseout and climate finance.