Climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh: what it’s all about – politics

The 27th World Climate Conference, also known as COP27, begins on Sunday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The meeting will discuss how to achieve the goal agreed in the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. Each of the 197 signatories to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change pursues their own interests, and consensus is difficult. Activists protested in advance, researchers are skeptical.

What is happening?

This year’s conference will last a full two weeks, starting this Sunday, November 6th, and ending two weeks later on Friday, November 18th. The delegations from the participating countries will meet in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula, which is otherwise better known as a seaside resort. It’s the 27th climate conference; the first took place in Berlin in 1995. Great Britain hosted the climate conference last year.

On the program there are negotiations of all kinds. Every day has a topic, every day different groups come together, heads of state and government, activists, representatives of non-governmental organizations, business leaders. The aim is to advance the implementation of the self-imposed goals.

Federal Climate Minister Robert Habeck set the tone shortly before the start: “The global community is not moving fast enough towards climate neutrality,” Habeck said in a tweet published video message. Climate protection is not about protecting the climate itself, but about the survival of mankind, Habeck emphasized. “Climate protection is human protection – and I don’t think everyone understands that as a matter of urgency.”

Who comes?

The 197 signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been invited. This also includes Germany. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that he will travel to Egypt for two days and deliver the national statement in the plenary session of the heads of state and government on November 7th and take part in various rounds of talks the following day. Most recently, the Federal Government’s Expert Council had warned that, as things stand at present, Germany will miss its climate targets for 2030. The EU also comes with its own representation.

The largest CO₂ emitters will also be there. Despite all the calls, China’s President Xi Jinping wants to stick to the use of coal. The US, on the other hand, wants to triple the amount of clean energy and drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Parallel to the conference, on November 8th, however, a new US Congress will be elected – and many fear that the Republicans could withdraw all commitments to more climate protection.

Then there are the emerging countries. Above all, Brazil, South Africa, India and China form the bloc of populous and fast-growing countries with heavily polluting industries. Another group also includes the “Climate Vulnerable Forum”: It represents 58 countries that are most threatened by the effects of climate change.

In addition to the country representatives, there are numerous activists, representatives of human rights organizations and journalists. Climate activists from Germany are also expected there, like the well-known one Fridays for Future-Activist Luisa Neubauer. Greta Thunberg, on the other hand, has canceled her participation; she described the conference as a forum for “greenwashing” and criticized the limited opportunities for protests.

The new British King Charles III actually wanted to join, but apparently had to cancel under pressure from former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

What is the argument about?

Accusations and demands were already being raised in advance: India has called on the industrialized countries to keep their promise of climate finance for developing countries. From 2020 onwards, the industrialized countries have pledged annual payments of one hundred billion US dollars for climate finance. Emissions should be reduced and projects to adapt to climate change should be financed. It has long been known that the industrialized countries have not met this goal – there is only disagreement about how large the outstanding sum is and who is paying it.

One of the focal points of the negotiations this year will be the topic of “damage and losses”: Under this heading, discussions will be held as to who will foot the bill for the devastating consequences of climate change, such as persistent droughts, floods or storms. The Climate Vulnerable Forum, for example, is calling for a financial mechanism that compensates them for opportunities lost because of climate change. It’s also about the sovereignty of interpretation: To what extent are rich industrialized nations more responsible for current climate damage today, and to what extent do they have to compensate poorer countries for opportunities that are missed as a result – and to what extent?

Are there protests?

Already in the run-up there were reports about the restriction of demonstration and assembly rights. Around 300 activists were arrested in Sharm el-Sheikh and other cities in Egypt. The nationwide arrests were made in connection with announced protests, such as the German press agency learned from security circles. Accordingly, dozens of people are accused of spreading false news, abusing social media and participating in terrorist groups.

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch called on the federal government to openly address the poor human rights situation in Egypt. “The Egyptian government could use the COP-27 presidency to project an image of openness and tolerance, even as political repression under the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has created one of the country’s worst human rights crises in decades,” warned the human rights expert Katharina Rall in conversation with the Editorial network Germany.

Amnesty also criticized the repression against civil society organizations and media workers in the host country Egypt. The democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has been imprisoned for years, is particularly prominent in the protests. After a month-long hunger strike from Sunday – i.e. at the same time as the start of COP27 – he also no longer wants to drink water. His condition is becoming increasingly life-threatening.

What are the prospects?

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is skeptical about the chances of success for the forthcoming climate conference. The world is entering a new period of conflict, if not confrontation, Steinmeier said at a panel discussion in the South Korean city of Busan on Saturday. “It is difficult to imagine that in times of conflict and even military confrontation, states like Russia or China will play a constructive role in and after Sharm el-Sheikh.”

The climate researcher Ottmar Edenhofer also has little hope that global warming can still be limited to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial level. “We hesitated for too long,” said the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research on Friday in an interview with the Catholic News Agency. It is all the more important to act decisively to keep the rise below two degrees. “It’s about effectively limiting the climate risks for people and, by the way, also for our economy.”


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