The Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, often known as COP27 or the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, was the 27th such gathering and took place from November 6, 2022, until November 20, 2022, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
COP 27 on recent climate issues:
At the COP27 climate conference, which had taken place in Egypt, world leaders are debating ways to prevent climate change. It follows a year that was characterized by unusually warm and cold weather. An “implementation COP,” also known as the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27), or the countries that have ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will focus on implementing the decisions reached in previous conferences.
The term “parties” in the abbreviation COP, which stands for Conference of the Parties, refers to the 197 nations that ratified the UNFCC in 1992. To address “destructive human interference with the climate system” and regulate greenhouse gas emissions, 197 countries, including the United States, approved the accord. Once a year, these nations gather with the U.N. climate organization to discuss how to work together to address climate change.
According to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Blue Zone and the Green Zone will be the main locations for the event. International law will apply there, and the UN will be in charge of overseeing it.
The Peace Park Botanical Garden, which is across the street, will house the Green Zone. That area, which will be open to the entire public, will be governed by the Egyptian government.
Issues under India’s radar :
1. A way of life to fight climate change:
2. Carbon market:
3. implementing a just transition to phase out fossil fuels:
4. Accountability, transparency, and increasing finance of climate
Key issues raised in COP 27:
1. Limit the increase in the average world temperature to “far below” 2°C, and ideally 1.5°C.
2. Increase resilience and the capacity for climate change adaptation.
3. Financial flows should be coordinated with “a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.”
India’s previous commitments in COP-26 and its actions taken on green energy establishing solar projects for electricity generation:
According to the rating agency ICRA, India is anticipated to benefit long-term from the emission control commitments it made at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow in November with new technology in green fuels, energy efficiency, and carbon reduction.
According to the ICRA, the country will benefit from the assurances made at COP26; the tasks require a clear strategy and prompt government initiatives. Huge investment opportunities are created by COP26’s ambitious goals in sectors like renewable energy, the electric vehicle ecosystem, ethanol blends, increased energy efficiency, and carbon capture technology.
As part of its efforts to combat climate change, India has mandated that coal-burning power plants employ biomass pellets as 5% of their fuel source and provide farmers the opportunity to earn about Rs. 15,000 crores yearly. The government’s policy to help India’s energy transition and reduce pollution from crop-stubble burning includes the SAMARTH plan, which calls for the conversion of crop stubbles into pellets and easing their sale.
According to the statement, government policies must make sure that no concessions are made in response to the nation’s steadily increasing energy needs that might jeopardize its efforts to advance economically, while also making an effort to shed its reputation as one of the world’s most polluting nations.
More than half of India’s power generation capacity is accounted for by 202.22 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fueled power projects, which continue to be the country’s main source of electricity. India is the second-largest producer of coal and has the fourth-largest reserves in the world.
“This might bring in billions of dollars from many areas of the economy. Rating agency ICRA, in its recent research report, has analyzed India’s commitment in two phases – up to 2030, and the net-zero target for 2070,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to reducing India’s total projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030, lowering the country’s economic carbon intensity by less than 45% by the end of the decade, and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 at the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November.
The promise calls to raise the capacity of non-fossil fuel power generation to 500GW by the end of this decade and achieve 50% of India’s energy needs from renewable sources by 2030.
India & COP 27, so far
Developing Nations Collectively Refuse to List India as A Historical Polluter. With the help of like-minded developing nations like China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, India successfully repelled the attempt.
During deliberations on the “Mitigation Work Programme” at the ongoing UN climate summit in Egypt, a plan by wealthy nations to focus on the top 20 carbon dioxide polluters was foiled by India with the help of other poor countries, sources said on Monday.
Developed countries demanded during the first week of the climate negotiations that all top 20 emitters, including China and India, debate drastic emission reductions rather than just the wealthy countries. Even while India is among the top 20 emitters, it is not to blame for the global warming that has already taken place.
4 Takeaways from COP 27
The visible effects of climate change have influenced or contributed to several global headlines from last year. For millions of people worldwide, the severity of the climate crisis has become abundantly clear as a result of the floods in Pakistan, the drought in East Africa, the energy crisis in Europe, the global inflation, and even the conflict in Ukraine.
The takeaways from COP 27 are:
1. Greenhouse gas emission reductions have not advanced
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions are necessary to lessen the effects of climate change, but COP27 saw no real advancement in that direction. The Paris Agreement’s overall goals are substantially exceeded by the current promises, and nations failed to present more ambitious commitments. Instead, a lot of people are breaking their previous promises as a result of the global energy crisis and growing prices.
The first Global Stocktake, a tool for tracking the global implementation of the Paris Agreement pledges, will be completed at the COP28 conference in 2019. As that day draws closer, pressure will only increase, but there are few indications that nations will follow through on their promises.
2. America and China are presently seated around a table
China and the United States are responsible for more than half of the world’s emissions. Their bilateral climate agreements were essential to persuading other nations to join the Paris Agreement. There are growing concerns about the future of US-China climate collaboration. The United States may have to look for and deepen new alliances to promote climate progress.
3. A Loss and Damage Fund is Created
Representatives at COP27 in the United Nations Climate Change Conference decided to create a new fund for “loss and damage” to aid in the recovery from climate-related damages that go beyond what human society can readily adapt to. They did this in recognition of the fact that many developing countries are among those most vulnerable to climate change despite contributing the least to it.
The symbolic significance of such a deal cannot be overstated; perhaps it will encourage cooperation in other areas. How the fund will operate and how much in commitments is expected to be contributed are also unknown.
To ensure that COP27’s progress on the issue of loss and damage is continued, parallel methods are required. Better coordination between related discussions under the Global Compact for Migration and those under the U.N. Framework Commission on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is one example of this. Regional discussions are also necessary to handle cross-border risks, such as how to manage shared resources or how to deal with the connections between climate-related food and water insecurity and extremist organization recruiting.
4. Tasks Performed Outside the COP Framework
But reaching such an agreement requires agreement among all parties, and that can be hard to come by given the diversity of interests and concerns among the many countries involved.
Working on other fronts outside of the UNFCCC, where more fluid debates and actions can take place, may become increasingly vital.
The Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which has been signed by more than 150 nations, is one illustration of a parallel approach that can produce results.
The GMP, which was introduced at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, last year, aims to cut methane emissions by at least 30% within ten years.
Over 50 nations attended COP27 a year later with measures in place to cut methane emissions, making a significant contribution to the Paris Agreement’s aim of lowering overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Another illustration is the function of sub-national governments, such as states and cities, which can support creative policy and action at the national level and build strong coalitions with other similar participants in global networks. Non-state actors, such as private sector companies, can also promote significant and lasting change, even though their involvement was less apparent during COP27. It shows apparently that United Nations Climate Change Conference had a good impack for the Environmental Issues. More Issues that needs to be focussed are: Water shortage will be the reason for next global crisis: Explained and Why India needs strict population control law?
