Egypt will host the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), also known as COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022. 

The UN Climate Change Conference has happened every year since 1995. These two-week summits are an important space for world leaders, politicians and experts to discuss the climate crisis on a global level. 

New Era (NE) senior journalist Albertina Nakale discussed with Egyptian ambassador to Namibia Wael Lotfy Batea (WB) issues around Egypt’s presidency at COP27.   

NE: What is the vision of the Egyptian presidency for COP27?

WB: During the Egyptian presidency of COP27, Egypt will be working on achieving as much progress as we can on every item under negotiations in a balanced and equitable manner, and based on the rules and principles that govern our collective action to tackle climate change and its impacts. 

This means delivering a comprehensive, ambitious mitigation work programme, achieving and capturing meaningful progress on the global goal of adaptation, addressing the loss and damage deficit, including through finding a balanced solution to the funding issue and effectively addressing the climate finance challenge in a manner which creates trust in the process and allays concerns that developing countries will be called upon to contribute to the global effort without commensurate support. It’s also ensuring that no country or group is left behind through building mutual trust and understanding, and stressing the global nature of the climate challenge and hence the need for collective, complementary and collaborative action

Commitment to the rules and principles that govern our collective action to tackle climate change and its impacts, and emphasising the need to move from negotiations to implementation through specific, measurable, impactful initiatives to be delivered and implemented on the ground, is crucial.

NE: Funding of transformations and adaptation is important; how will this issue be discussed during COP27? 

WB: Finance is the cornerstone for implementing climate actions and scaling up ambition. Hence, it has been at the heart of the UNFCCC process and the Paris Agreement negotiations. The Glasgow outcomes also reiterated the centrality of finance as a catalyst for progress on all aspects of the global climate agenda, and many parties demonstrated the political will to deliver on finance commitments. 

The finance day will address several aspects of the climate finance ecosystem, including but not limited to innovative and blended finance and financial instruments, tools and policies that have the potential to enhance access, scale up finance and contribute to the transition envisaged and needed, including those related to debt for environment swaps. 

The finance day will also feature the holding of one or more of the mandated events, including the ministerial finance roundtable. Finance issues would be raised on 9 November.

NE: Sustainability of the environment for future generations is usually the main objective of any international conference on climate change. Will the voice of youth and future generations be heard during COP27?  

WB: Ensuring that the voice of youth and future generations is heard loud and clear is one of the objectives of the COP27 presidency. Having heard the priorities and concerns of youth representatives over the past few months, it has been decided to hold a stand-alone day to engage youth and ensure that their perspectives are taken on board and reflected across all areas of the climate agenda.

NE: Adaptation and resilience are of crucial importance to all parties. Could you shed light on how this topic will be taken care of during COP27?

WB: Adaptation and resilience are of crucial importance to all parties, and in particular developing countries, putting into consideration the devastating impacts endured by many countries across the world, and pointing to the fact that we are not on track to deal with current climate impacts nor are we prepared for the extreme weather events that are increasing in number and intensity. 

In a time of increased food insecurity, it is important to have deep discussions on ways to deal with food security, increase agricultural productivity, reduce losses in the food production chain, enhance resilience and livelihoods for small-scale farmers, and ensure measures are in place for sustained food security and to manage any potential food crises.

Adaptation day will also provide an opportunity to discuss the whole gamut of adaptation-related issues, including agriculture, nutrition, coastal areas’ livelihoods, protection, loss and damage, disaster risk reduction and solutions to building the resilience of agriculture and food systems to adverse climate impacts, like droughts and floods. 

NE: How important are decarbonisation and a low carbon economy in the climate change discussion? 

WB: Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement and Glasgow in 2021, several energy-intensive sectors and companies have come forward with plans, policies and actions aiming to reduce their carbon footprints and gradually move towards decarbonisation.

Technologies are emerging as potential solutions to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. The sessions on decarbonisation would provide an opportunity to discuss such approaches and policies, and to display technologies to encourage and facilitate the much-needed transition and paradigm shift towards a low-carbon economy. 

NE: Climate change harms water on planet earth. How would COP27 deal with water-specific challenges? 

WB: Of course there will be discussions at the water day on 14 November, covering all issues related to sustainable water resources’ management. 

The water day will comprise the different topics of water scarcity, drought, cross-boundary cooperation and improvement of early warning systems, putting into consideration that water is the source of life and livelihoods.

Climate impacts on water and the linkages to wider, cross-cutting impacts on development and livelihoods are well-documented and substantiated by credible scientific reports and analyses.

NE: What are the expected outcomes of COP27? 

WB: Possible solutions for the climate change challenges could be agreed upon, such as the greening of national budgets, sustainable cities, sustainable transport, waste management and alternatives to plastic and green buildings. 

More specific solutions emanating from the private sector and start-ups bring creativity and innovation to the effort to deal with climate change.

Sustainable cities, green buildings and resilient infrastructure are all part of the paradigm shift envisaged in the critical decade and beyond, intending to achieve transformative implementation, building on agreed deliverables under different agreements, and a further ambitious pledge to reduce climate impacts and consider the role of cities in combating climate change. 

Sustainable transport is another key sector that provides a direct and cross-cutting impact on climate change, pollution, quality of living and efficiency. In this regard, it is important to highlight potential for this sector, success stories and available opportunities.

Solutions day will bring together government representatives, businesses and innovators to share their experiences and their ideas to spread awareness, share experiences and best practices, and perhaps build future alliances and collaborations.

Bearing in mind that start-ups can bring creativity and innovation to the effort of combating climate change, solutions day will bring together established businesses and small and medium-scale innovators, along with government and financial institution representatives to share experiences, discuss challenges and potentially build collaborations and future alliances.