SHARM EL SHEIKH – Egypt’s Foreign Minister and President of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, Sameh Shoukry underlined on Sunday the importance of taking into considerations all recommendations and decisions reached during the climate conference for a better future.
The decisions that were reached during the UN conference are tantamount to a gateway to advancing towards climate neutrality and resilience, Shoukry said at the closing session of the UN conference in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh.
He called on everyone to consider these decisions not as words on paper, but as messages addressed to the world for future generations in order to set the appropriate pace for implementing the Paris Agreement.
Shoukry expressed appreciation for tireless efforts exerted by all participating delegations to reach these results.
The foreign minister called for taking into consideration all arrangements related to financing to be able to make up for damage created by climate change.
He called for adopting the Sharm el Sheikh Implementation Plan and to take appropriate decisions in this regard, urging the parties to the Paris Agreement to consider reports of the Adaptation Committee.
He said all adaptation-related issues were referred to the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement for further consultations, calling for the adoption of the draft resolution titled “Adaptation Committee Report 2022”.
He also called for considering Article 7 on the agenda titled “The Warsaw International Mechanism for Losses and Damage Associated with Climate Change Impact” and adopting decisions taken in this regard without any objection.
He called for taking into consideration issues related to the least developed countries, saying the implementing panel was unable to conclude discussions of this issue and was referred to the parties to the Paris Conference for further consultations.
The foreign minister called on the parties to Paris Agreement to adopt the conference’s draft resolutions on the Green Climate Fund and climate measures regarding agriculture and food safety.
He called on the parties to Paris Agreement to look into articles regarding clean development and adaptation fund.
Addressing the gathering, Shoukry said over the past two weeks, Sharm El Sheikh played host to thousands of participants who came to the Red Sea resort from different parts of the world, including heads of state and government, members of delegations, representatives of civil society and youth with the aim of coming up with a global response to the greatest threat in our lives today, which is climate change.
The work that we have been able to accomplish over the past two weeks and the results that we have reached are nothing but a testament to our collective will. Being here together we sent a clear message to the world that despite the difficulties the world faces, the different visions and ambitions, as well as the levels of fear and concerns, we remain committed to our fight against climate change.
Some cast doubts that we lack will when it comes to the global agenda, but we were able to live up to our responsibilities in order to level up to global expectations.
We worked around the clock over the past days and at the end we were able to make achievements to respond to millions of people who suffer as a result of the negative repercussions of climate change in Africa, Asia, Middle East and Egypt.
Now, the conference wrapped up and all participants are leaving but with renewed hope for the future, the future of this planet, and with collective will and greater determination in order to achieve the Paris Agreement’s global warming target, Shoukry said.
We also leave Sharm El Sheikh with an important and tangible agreement to activate the Paris Agreement as regards mitigation target, which is a long-term demand by developing countries that bear the brunt of climate change though they are the least responsible for it.
He expressed his confidence that ongoing efforts on adaptation will be finalized at COP 28 next year for everyone’s interest.
The foreign minister expressed his deep appreciation for tireless efforts exerted by his colleagues in the UN climate change agreement secretariat to render the conference a success.
He also thanked President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for all the support he provided since Egypt filed for hosting this edition in order for the event to come to light in such an organized way.
Meantime, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said foundations for the Loss and Damage Fund were established during the conference to deal with the damage and losses resulting from climate change.
He said the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last April, which was approved and agreed upon by global scientists, confirmed that global emissions should decrease at the beginning of 2025.
He also addressed the necessity of reducing emissions by half by 2030.
He added that all parties pledged to work in order to avoid fossil fuels, including oil, coal and gas, noting that civil society has the credit for what we have reached today.
Representative of the Pakistani delegation praised the distinguished role played by Shoukry in overcoming challenges and reaching historical consensus on the establishment of Loss and Damage Fund.
She indicated that there is progress as regards the adaptation program, expressing hope for more joint efforts to support countries achieve tangible progress.
The spokesman for the African Group lauded the breakthrough reached during the conference as regards finance arrangements, citing the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund that aims at helping developing nations overcome repercussions of climate change.
Spokeswoman for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) said the fund sends a message to the world that the bill of climate change will not be paid only by governments which are the least responsible for it and thus achieving climate justice.
She called on all parties to work for activating the fund within the coming months and double efforts to reduce emissions.
The Representative of Bolivia lauded the establishment of Loss and Damage Fund, hoping it will be financed by necessary funds to help countries address impact of climate change.
She urged advanced nations to level up to their responsibilities and build the capacities of developing nations to face climate change.
Representative of UK said negotiations of damage created by climate change were not easy but ended with reaching a big achievement, which is the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund.
She said the decisions that were taken will certainly boost developing nations to adapt with climate change but more work is needed to achieve hoped-for targets.
The main goal we all seek to reach now is limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, she added.
The EU representative said the union reached strong partnerships with many bodies during the conference, hoping more progress will be achieved within the coming period.
He expressed satisfaction over the EU contribution to the conference that ended up by setting up a fund for loss and damage.
The Representative of Colombia said energy crisis, inflation and hiking prices made it difficult to address the impact of climate change and thus affecting marginalized segments.
She stressed that collective work is a must to face climate change.
The Representative of Turkey hoped that the outcomes of the conference would accelerate ways of addressing climate change and securing necessary funds to meet developing nations’ needs.
She said setting up the Loss and damage Fund during the conference is an important step, promising to work more on global adaptation program.
The Representative of Norway said this year has been a year of natural disasters and deaths caused by climate change, urging world countries to rally efforts to face climate change.
The Representative of India affirmed his country’s support of the statement of the Group of 77 and China, stressing the necessity of the climate conference as a landmark conference for its agreement to finance losses and damages.
The representative of the non-governmental organizations said the conference has taken many steps forward, underlining the importance of holding social dialogue between trade unions and business owners to be engaged in shaping their future.
The Representative of Tuvalu lauded the historical agreement on setting up a fund for loss and damage but expressed regret that a similar progress on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees was not realized.
He hoped that this target would be reached in COP28.
