The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) marks another pivotal moment in the global effort to address climate change and its multifaceted impacts. With the theme of LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), this conference emphasizes the urgent need for individual and collective action to mitigate environmental degradation. At the forefront of discussions is the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund, aimed at providing support to communities disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters. Additionally, the introduction of the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) underscores the significance of addressing short-lived climate pollutants. As delegates convene to navigate these critical issues, COP27 signifies a crucial juncture in shaping sustainable solutions for our planet’s future.
The 27th edition of the annual Conference of Parties (COP) of UNFCCC concluded in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
SHARM-EL-SHEIK ADAPTATION AGENDA
- The Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda presents 30 Adaptation Outcomes aimed at enhancing resilience for the most vulnerable four billion people to climate-related risks by 2030.
- Each outcome proposes a global solution adaptable at the local level, addressing local climate hazards like floods, heatwaves, and droughts.
- These outcomes collectively form the initial comprehensive global plan for both State and non-State actors, featuring a shared set of adaptation actions to be adopted by the end of the decade.
- The plan spans five impact systems: food and agriculture, water and nature, coastal and oceans, human settlements, and infrastructure, along with enabling solutions for planning and finance.
Food Security and Agriculture Systems:
- Implement climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture for a 17% increase in yields and a 21% reduction in farm-level GHG emissions.
- Halve the share of food production lost and per capita food waste (compared to 2019).
- Introduce healthy alternative proteins capturing 15% of the global meat and seafood market.
- Increase global consumption of fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and legumes by 1.5 times.
Water and Nature Systems:
- Protect 45 million hectares, sustainably manage 2 billion hectares, and restore 350 million hectares of land, ensuring legal protection for indigenous and local communities.
- By 2025, financial institutions contribute to halting land conversion, eliminating commodity-driven deforestation, and investing USD 354 billion/year in nature-based solutions.
- Implement smart, efficient, and robust water systems, reducing water loss through leakage.
- Maximize recycling and reuse in wastewater systems alongside natural wetland filtration, with zero environmental spillage.
- Implement sustainable irrigation systems covering 20% of global croplands to preserve water availability while supporting yield growth.
Human Settlements Systems:
- Provide 1 billion people with better-designed, constructed, and financed homes.
- Establish smart and early warning systems reaching 3 billion people.
- Invest USD 1 trillion in nature-based solutions for urban communities.
- Harden social infrastructure to ensure access to basic and essential community services.
- Enhance the use of waste as a secondary resource, reducing open waste burning by 60%, improving livelihoods, and lowering pollution levels.
Ocean and Coastal Systems:
- Invest USD 4 billion to secure the future of 15 million hectares of mangroves globally, halting mangrove loss, restoring half of recent losses, and doubling global mangrove protection.
- Halt loss, protect, and restore coral reefs to support tropical communities.
- Halt loss, protect, and restore seagrass, marshes, and kelp forests to support temperate communities.
- Protect the urban coastline through grey and hybrid solutions.
Infrastructure Systems:
- Enable affordable access to electricity for 679 million unconnected people and improve access for 1 billion underserved people through diverse energy sources and climate-resilient systems.
- Provide clean cooking access for 4 billion people through at least USD 10 billion/year in innovative finance.
- Attain 585 GW of battery storage capacity, extending transmission and distribution networks for decentralized generation and consumption.
- Offer access to low-cost, clean vehicles and mobility solutions for 2 billion people through expanded transport services.
- Enhance transport infrastructure resilience to climate hazards through technological advancements in design and materials.
Planning:
- Develop evidence-based, actionable adaptation plans for 10,000 cities and 100 regional governments.
- Facilitate the development of actionable adaptation plans by 2,000 of the world’s largest companies.
- Ensure universal access to tools and information for integrating climate risks into decision-making from local to global levels.
- Operationalize National Adaptation Plans and Locally-Led Principles for country-driven, localized, and consultative adaptation.
Finance:
- Integrate physical climate risks into private sector investment decisions, innovating mechanisms for financing adaptation and resilience to mobilize USD 140 to USD 300 billion across public and private sources.
- Increase public finance actors’ provision of climate finance, allocating 50% of climate funds to adaptation and resilience.
- Develop an industry capabilities framework in the global property and casualty insurance sector, actively supporting project implementation and institutionalizing a longer-term industry approach to climate adaptation.
MAJOR INITIATIVES
1- LiFE – LIFESTYLE FOR ENVIRONMENT
- The Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) concept was unveiled by the Prime Minister of India at the UNFCCC – COP26 in Glasgow in 2021.
- LiFE represents a global mass movement dedicated to safeguarding and conserving the environment.
- Its overarching vision involves transitioning from the current ‘use-and-dispose’ economic model to the adoption of a circular economy.
2- LOSS AND DAMAGE FUND
- Loss and Damage (L&D) refers to the adverse impacts of climate change that cannot be mitigated or adapted to, encompassing economic damage to property, loss of livelihoods, and the destruction of biodiversity and culturally significant sites.
- The Loss and Damage Fund is a financial mechanism established to provide compensation to the most vulnerable countries affected by climate-related disasters.
- Initially proposed by the Alliance of Small Island States in the 1990s, it gained support from the G-77 (including India), and China, leading to the creation of the fund during COP 27.
- The funding for the Loss and Damage Fund will initially come from contributions by developed countries and various private and public sources, with the potential for other major economies to join in the future.
- This fund aims to assist developing countries vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, while also extending support to middle-income countries severely impacted by climate-related disasters.
3-METHANE ALERT AND RESPONSE SYSTEM
- The Methane Action and Remote Sensing (MARS) initiative was introduced at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
- This data-to-action platform is an integral component of the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) strategy, designed to facilitate the dissemination of policy-relevant data for effective emissions mitigation.
OBJECTIVES OF MARS
- Global Methane Detection: MARS is established to seamlessly integrate data from an extensive array of existing and upcoming satellites equipped with the capability to identify methane emission events worldwide.
- Notification Processes: The platform’s primary goal is to connect methane detection with transparent notification processes. It ensures that relevant stakeholders promptly receive notifications to take appropriate actions in response to detected methane emissions.
- Public Availability: MARS is positioned as the world’s inaugural publicly accessible global system dedicated to linking methane detection with notification processes in a transparent manner.
- Scope of Monitoring: Initially focused on tracking major emission sources within the fossil fuel industry, MARS aims to expand its monitoring capabilities over time. It seeks to detect emissions from diverse sources such as coal, waste, livestock, and rice fields.
The MARS initiative, as part of the IMEO strategy, represents a crucial step in utilizing satellite data for real-time monitoring of methane emissions, contributing to global efforts in addressing climate change.
FAQs – COP 27
1. What is COP 27?
A: The 27th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
2. What is the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda?
A: The Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda outlines 30 Adaptation Outcomes, offering global solutions at the local level for the most vulnerable four billion people to climate-related risks by 2030. It covers various impact systems, including food and agriculture, water and nature, coastal and oceans, human settlements, and infrastructure.
3. What are the key outcomes for Food Security and Agriculture Systems?
A: Key outcomes include implementing climate-resilient agriculture, reducing food production losses and waste, promoting alternative proteins, and increasing global consumption of specific food items.
4. What does the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda propose for Water and Nature Systems?
A: The agenda aims to protect and restore vast areas of land, manage land sustainably, and enhance water security. It also focuses on financial contributions to halt land conversion and reduce water loss through efficient systems.
5. What initiatives are outlined for Human Settlements Systems?
A: The agenda includes providing better-designed homes, establishing early warning systems, significant investments in nature-based solutions for urban areas, and improving waste management practices.
6. What is the focus of Ocean and Coastal Systems in the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda?
A: Initiatives involve significant investments to secure the future of mangroves, protection and restoration of coral reefs, seagrass, marshes, and kelp forests, and safeguarding urban coastlines.
7. What does the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda propose for Infrastructure Systems?
A: It aims to ensure access to electricity, clean cooking, battery storage, and low-cost, clean vehicles for billions of people, alongside enhancing the resilience of transport infrastructure to climate hazards.
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