TOMORROW, WORLD LEADERS will gather in Egypt to begin two weeks of talks at the UN’s annual climate conference, COP27.

At last year’s summit in Glasgow, countries agreed to come back with updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), but the ongoing war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and soaring inflation have since changed the geopolitical landscape dramatically.

Meanwhile, the effects of climate change continue to impact people around the world, from the heatwave seen across Europe this summer and the deadly flooding in Pakistan to the threat of famine in Africa and heavy drought in the western United States.

Here’s what you need to know about COP27.

What is COP27?

COPs – Conferences of the Parties – are attended by countries that are signatories (parties) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to make decisions about how to address the climate crisis.

Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, are driving global temperatures upwards and are leading to devastating consequences for humans, animals and plants. These impacts are forecasted to grow increasingly worse unless humans rapidly and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to hundreds of scientists.

The UN summits are a major part of how plans to slash emissions are developed but are often criticised for falling short of necessary action and taking on corporate sponsorships with links to the fossil fuel industry or environmental damage.

It’s called COP27 as this is the 27th time that countries have gathered under the UN convention.

When and where is COP27 being held?

The conference will take place from 6 to 18 November in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, on the coastal strip of the Red Sea. 

The conference will take place in two zones: the Blue Zone and the Green Zone. The Blue Zone is where the official negotiations will take place. It will be based at the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center and managed by the United Nations.

The Green Zone will be based across the road in the Peace Park Botanical Garden. It will be run by the Egyptian Government and open to the public. Events, exhibitions, workshops and talks will happen here to promote “dialogue, awareness, education, and commitments”. 

Who can we expect to see there?

So far, over 30,000 delegates representing governments, businesses, NGOs, and civil society groups have registered to attend COP27. Around 90 heads of state have confirmed that they will be attending the summit, including US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. Leaders and representatives of more than 190 countries are expected in total.

Having come under fire for saying he would skip the summit due to “pressing domestic commitments”, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reversed his decision and will now be heading to Egypt. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Minister for the Environment and Climate Eamon Ryan are expected to attend, and Cabinet has signed off on allowing Ryan authority to support international climate initiatives.

However, a provisional list of speakers dated 31 October shows that delegates from major emitters China and India are not expected to attend. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also not expected to attend due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, Russia may still send delegates to the summit. 

Another notable absentee will also be Greta Thunberg. The activist has said that she will not attend this year’s summit due to the limited space for civil society representatives and greenwashing efforts by political leaders.

She said COP is “mainly used as an opportunity for leaders and people in power to get attention, using many different kinds of greenwashing”.

“So as it is, the COPs are not really working, unless of course we use them as an opportunity to mobilise.”

What are the aims of COP27?

This year’s summit is expected to largely focus on the “implementation” of climate policies and keeping the target of capping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius alive.

‘Loss and damage’ looks set to dominate the agenda. This refers to the climate impacts that countries – particularly developing countries – are experiencing to which they cannot adapt, and for which they are often not responsible. 

With #COP27 less than three days away, some key forward looking messages from climate activists from all around the world, expressing their ambition, enthusiasm, and expectations going into this year’s conference in Sharm El Sheikh.#TogetherForImplementation pic.twitter.com/KGr1M7Lvs1

— COP27 (@COP27P) November 4, 2022

The question of how much financial support rich countries should provide to developing nations to help them cope with these impacts will be examined once again.

At COP26, developed countries were called on to “at least double” their funding by 2025 to help developing nations adapt to climate change, but a long-promised $100 billion target for these funds was not reached.

Another issue on the agenda will be fossil fuels. Last year’s Glasgow summit marked the first time that coal and fossil fuels were mentioned in a COP deal.

However, the text of the deal to curb coal and fossil fuel usage was changed at the last minute from accelerating the “phase out” of coal to instead a “phase down” of coal usage due to protests from China and India. 

Will there be protests?

Protests are part of every COP and it would be unusual not to see them. Last year, around 100,000 people marched in Glasgow to demand more action from world leaders to combat the climate crisis.

However, this year could look quite different. In 2013, Egyptian authorities passed Law No. 107/2013 on Organizing the Right to Public Meetings, Processions and Peaceful Protests, which allows security forces to effectively ban protests in the country.

Amnesty International has said that the law has been used to prosecute thousands of peaceful protesters in “grossly unfair mass trials”, and allows security forces to use unlawful force, sometimes lethal, and mass arrests to disperse protests.

There will be designated demonstration areas at COP27, authorities have said. Guidelines for the summit state that anyone planning on organising a demonstration should notify the organisers with the purpose of the protest and the date 36 hours in advance. 

Organisers of marches in public places in the city away from the designated areas are asked to give 48-hours notice of their protest, including the suggested date, time, duration and purpose of the demonstration, the suggested route it will take and the estimated number of people who will take part.

Have countries made progress on what they said they would do at COP26?

In short, no. Little progress has been made in the year since COP26 due to the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and soaring inflation. 

There are some encouraging signs that action is beginning to be taken. The US recently passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which pledges to invest $370 billion in renewable energy over the next decade in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Scientists estimate that the legislation could cut US greenhouse gas emissions by about 30–40% below 2005 levels by 2030, bringing the country closer to delivering on its pledge of a 50% reduction, which Biden made last year. 

However, only 24 of 194 countries have submitted updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs) for COP27, and those that have mostly failed to strengthen targets.

The UNFCCC’s latest report shows that as of late September 2022, mitigation commitments in NDCs would, if implemented, increase emissions by 10.6% by 2030, in strong contrast to the 45% emissions reduction needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees celsius.

This could put the world on track for around 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century, the report said. 

Speaking at the pre-COP meeting in New York last month, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres urged countries attending the summit to take action, saying that as “climate chaos gallops ahead, climate action has stalled”.

“COP27 is critical, but we have a long way to go. Let’s be clear: the collective commitment of G20 governments are coming far too little, and far too late,” Guterres said.

He said the actions of the wealthiest, developed and emerging economies “simply don’t add up”.

Taken together, current pledges and policies are shutting the door on our chance to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, let alone meet the 1.5 degree goal.

“We are in a life or death struggle for our own safety today and our survival tomorrow, and there is no time for pointing fingers or twiddling thumbs.

“It is time for a game changing quantum level compromise between developed and emerging economies. The world cannot wait.”

Where can I keep up with news from COP27?

The Journal will be attending the conference to bring you the details of what’s happening at the high-level discussions but also on the ground.

Is there any sense of hope among attendees? What do experts think about the discussions between governments? Are activists able to protest freely?

We’ll have updates for you on our website and social media as well as our climate newsletter Temperature Check, which you can sign up for here.