COP 27 so far

The 2022 United Nation’s Climate Change Conference, COP27 is being held in Egypt since November 06
and will run till November 18. Previous COP meetings have been used by governments and stakeholders
to agree on policies that mitigate global temperature rises and adapt to the impacts associated with
climate variations.
At COP27, world leaders, delegates, & members of CSOs need to form a unified front to further mobilize
and prioritize the global climate agenda.
As a continent, the African Union has developed a climate change strategy as COP27 is being hosted on
African soil. These strategies include;
• Build the resilience of African communities, ecosystems, and economies, and support
regional adaptation.
• Strengthen the adaptive capacity of affected communities and manage the risks related to
climate change.
• Pursue equitable and transformative low-emission, climate-resilient development pathways.
• Enhance Africa’s capacity to mobilize resources and improve access to and the development
of technology for ambitious climate action.
• Enhance inclusion, alignment, cooperation, and ownership of climate strategies, policies,
programs, and plans across all spheres of government and stakeholder groupings.
It is however imperative that each country works towards achieving their specific NDCs.
COP27 is a moment for governments, businesses, and investors to come together to confront those
obstacles to finance, and figure out what needs to change in order to unlock action on adaptation now.
In COP26 in Glasgow, wealthy nations pledged to double financial support for adaptation to $40 billion
per year. But they have yet to meet that goal, and African countries have said they need about US$700
billion per year from 2025 to adapt. Africa can be equipped with further defense against climate risks by
enabling affordable borrowing rates so as have a just transition in technology that’s sustainable. In this
perspective, New Zealand has pledged to $20million of Loss and damage at COP27 and it is expected that
other developed nations will follow suit.
A handful of world leaders such as Wael Aboulmagd has called for immediate and innovative solutions to
drive the global climate finance landscape to complement public finance, reiterating the central role of
MDBs in climate finance as well as the vital contribution of philanthropies. The Prime Minister of Barbados
Mia Amor Mottley on her part urged leaders to deliver on past promises to make a “definable difference
in the lives of the people, we have an obligation to serve.”
CSOs present that COP27 has been emphasizing that addressing the climate crisis can only succeed if the
international community addresses the climate injustices faced by Africa. Dr. Augustine Njamnshi pointed
out that “when the issue of ‘climate debt’ arises Africa is excluded from the decisions. I urged African
negotiators at COP27 not to relent in putting forward Africa’s interests because this is a fight for our
livelihoods and for our lives.” He went further to call on African leaders to side with the suffering masses
and take the bold decisions needed to safeguard their aspirations.