8 Days Left: Egypt COP 27 Loss And Damage At Critical Level

With less than eight days remaining, COP27, will kick off on November 6, in Sharm El-Sheikh, when Egypt takes over the presidency from the United Kingdom.

Expectations of progress on the issue of Loss and Damage caused by climate change will be higher at the African-hosted COP.

350 PACIFIC WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT

The youth-led grassroots movement organisation, 350 Pacific, will voice the cries of Pacific’s climate change impacting communities globally in Egypt. Coordinator, George Nacewa challenged leaders to take action as an agreement on finance for loss and damage is crucial at COP27.

“New and additional loss and damage finance is a critical ask,” Mr Nacewa said.

“For countries like Fiji, it is crucial support for communities already experiencing irreversible loss and damage from climate change impacts, including displaced and relocated communities.”

He added that those that have contributed the most to the climate crisis must take responsibility, not just to reduce emissions but also provide support for impacts already happening.

KIOA CLIMATE EMERGENCY DECLARATION 2022

As people are starting to understand why these matters, the Pacific Climate Warriors will be attending COP to amplify Pacific voices, share their stories of impacts and resilience, and champion the Kioa Declaration that was agreed upon and signed last week.

“The Kioa Declaration encapsulates Pacific civil society and Pacific communities demands and expectations from COP,” Mr Nacewa said.

On October 17-19, major Pacific civil society organisations came together in Fiji to put together this historic first ever community-led climate declaration in the region. It included: 350 Pacific, Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO), Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), Caritas Oceania and many grassroots Pacific Island organisations. Mr Nacewa said 350 Pacific’s key demands at this year’s COP27 can be found in the Kioa Declaration.

“They include no new fossil fuel projects; urgent action on adaptation; new and additional loss and damage finance; commitment to safe, dignified and just migration; guaranteed access to climate finance; ocean policies and intergenerational equity,”

“Ultimately, we hope that this COP will be more than a talkfest. We need urgent action from world leaders,” he said.

He urged leaders to realise that the climate crisis is happening now. “It is a fight for survival, a fight for our future generations. The Pacific is showing resilience through action. Why can’t the rest of the world do the same?.”

The Kioa Climate Emergency Declaration 2022 will be presented to the global community at COP27 in Egypt in a few days’ time.

PICAN - LOSS AND DAMAGE FINANCE FACILITY

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) has been meeting biennially since 2001 and has held 14 sessions. No dedicated finance has been established to help people deal with the aftermath of climate impacts – also known as ‘finance to address Loss and Damage’.

Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, Regional Policy Coordinator, Lavetanalagi Seru emphasized that people and communities through out the Pacific are living through an era of climate-induced loss and damage.

“Our demands have been clear that Parties must establish a Loss and Damage Finance Facility, which will mobilise new, additional, needs-based, and predictable finance that is targeted and channeled to the vulnerable people and communities who need it most,” Mr Seru said.

“This includes Pacific Island countries who currently have to compete for limited funding resources within existing climate finance mechanisms.”

Such financial help would have made a significant difference to the lives of people on the frontlines of climate-fuelled events.

“This is an act of reparation and justice for our communities and nations who have little to contribute to the climate crisis yet are at the frontlines disproportionately being impacted both in economic and non-economic terms,” Mr Seru said.

“We need to secure our cultures, identities, and ancestral lands, rebuild infrastructures, improve access to services, and funding is a critical component to make these happen.” Moreover, Mr Seru is sad to note that we are seeing more resources spent on wars than on combating climate change which he feels is extremely unfortunate.

HOW WILL IT AFFECT THE PACIFIC?

Finding effective solutions to loss and damages from climate change must be championed by island leaders through joint diplomacy on the world stage.

Mr Seru reiterated that many countries continuously remain in a recovery phase, as new disasters strike while they are still recovering from previous ones.

“The recent scientific assessments from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest that Pacific Island countries would face rising temperatures, a further rise in sea level, and more intense tropical storms.”

He added that Pacific Island countries, including Fiji, have suffered from significant damage and losses due to frequent and severe disasters, exacerbated due to climate change.

“And as a result, impacting those most vulnerable, exacerbating social, economic, and cultural challenges, deepening inequalities, rolling back decades of development gains, and weakening the fiscal positions of our countries.”

HOPEFUL COP27 OUTCOME

PICAN will be represented at COP27 by five staff including Mr Seru. They will be providing policy and strategic advocacy support across a wide-range of themes (Loss and Damage, Climate Finance,Adaptation, Mitigation, Anti-Fossil Fuels Campaign etc), coordination support, media, and communications support. His team will be equipped with the Pacific Climate Justice Demands, which has been an outcome of the recent Pacific Climate Justice Summit event convened early in October.

It will show the priorities and demands of Pacific Island people and communities.

“We hope that COP27 will live up to the expectations that it is the implementing COP, and that Governments will come to Egypt not with rosy speeches,” Mr Seru said.

“But with concrete commitments, to phase out fossil fuels, ending any further expansion to new coal, oil and gas projects, ending the harmful act of providing fossil fuel industries with subsidies with tax-payers funds, and committing to pathways to secure just, low carbon economies, through accelerated just transition,”

PICAN’S OUTCOME AGENDA LIST:

- Governments and Leaders will commit to their promises to mobilise the USD 100 billion climate finance pledge, which they have failed to meet, and that they will deliver a delivery plan on how they will meet this and to announce new and additional climate finance for adaptation (doubling adaptation finance), and that these finances are grantsbased and are not offered in loans.

- Parties to acknowledge that there is no funding arrangement to provide a fit-for purpose response to address Loss & Damage. Parties must agree on establishing Loss and Damage as a permanent, standalone agenda item for all future COP and Subsidiary Body meetings, and that Loss and Damage Finance is on the agenda as a sub-item of “Matters relating to Finance”.

WHAT IS PICAN?

Pacific Islands Climate Action Network is a regional umbrella organisation for civil society organisations that are working on climate justice in the Pacific and coordinates its advocacy messages and participation at COP 27.

PICAN and its members will also be hosting a total of 15 side events on wide-ranging themes.

This includes gender and climate justice, loss and damage, and the Initiative to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice.

About 35 civil society representatives from across the Pacific, representing different civil society organisations and grassroots communities will be attending COP27.

Story By: adi.sovasiga@fijisun.com.fj