COP27 Daily Insights - Day 2: Loss, damage and activism

By Andrew Adie

Day two at COP27 has been dominated by two very different themes: Loss and damage, and activism.

Both have their roots wrapped in geopolitics.

On loss and damage, COP27 will be the first COP to put it onto the agenda as a topic for diplomatic discussion. Africa’s COP looks set to deliver the anticipated focus on how the global north compensates the global south for the cost and impact of global warming that has largely been created by richer nations’ industrial activities and consumption patterns but who’s impact will be most acutely felt by developing nations.

This was always set to be a crunch issue in Egypt, as the promised $100 billion a year that the G7 pledged to help developing nations adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change has never been delivered, despite being originally made in 2009 at the COP15.

That failure prompted fury at COP26, it looked set to be a dividing line at COP27 and indeed it will be.

Into that debate has stepped Boris Johnson, saying that the UK cannot afford to make reparation payments for its share of the environmental damage, while conceding that the UK has indeed played a significant role in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. That speech has arguably overshadowed the announcement from the UK’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, that the UK will make £100 million in funding available to help developing nations respond to climate-related disasters and adapt to the impact of climate change. 

While this is not the same as the G7 committing $100billion per year, it is a significant pledge. Yet that announcement has to be seen in the context of the world’s current geo-political woes. 

With a new ‘Cold War’ raging between China, Russia and NATO climate adaption finance is now a valuable diplomatic tool as well as a decarbonisation imperative and China has pledged to continue providing assistance to developing nations. Further movement from the G7 on reparation payments and support is arguably more likely given the need to secure influence. It’s one to watch during the next two-weeks at COP27.

Activism is the other elephant in the room with geopolitical roots. Greta Thunberg’s decision not to attend COP due to Egypt’s human rights record and also her belief that the Conference is a platform for greenwashing set the tone for a COP that has so far been marked by a lack of activism.

Alleged detentions of environmental activists and the high profile hunger strike of Alaa Abdel-Fattah, which has now escalated with him refusing water, is shining a light on Egypt’s human rights records and also the role of civic society in driving pressure on diplomats and politicians.

COP27’s aim to be the ‘implementation COP’ will be closely scrutinized by activists regardless of whether they are on the ground, on line or dispersed around the world. How they decide to act and make their voices heard is also something to watch for over the next two weeks, because they have certainly not gone away.

Today also started with warnings from the World Meteorological Organization that the past eight years have been the warmest on record and from the UN Environment Programme that without sustained progress on carbon reduction the world is on course for more than 2.4C of warming.

All this sets the scenes for a COP that will be fiery and unavoidably mired in geopolitical tension despite the need for collective action and the desire of the Egyptian Presidency for a focus on delivery and ‘implementation’.

One interesting developing story was revealed this morning by the Financial Times which ran an exclusive on US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, who is alleged to be trying to build support for a framework that would see carbon credits offered to business to offset emissions with the credits earned by developing nations through switching energy production from fossil fuels to renewables. If delivered that would be potentially valuable tool in helping channel carbon reduction finance and projects to developing nations.

Looking ahead to tomorrow we have more diplomatic delegations giving their opening statements on carbon reductions and sessions covering food and water security, innovation and climate change and vulnerable communities.

We will also have far more headline grabbing interventions from nations and activists around today’s unofficial themes of loss and damage and activism, and we’re not yet into the meat of the discussions.