Tuesday’s UN climate talks were set up for a clash between developed and developing nations over demands that wealthy polluters pay for damages caused by natural disasters.
The COP27 conference in Egypt has been dominated by demands that wealthy nations fund developing countries that are least to blame for global warming in order to mitigate lethal and expensive climate impacts.
Ministers from some of the most severely affected nations in the world criticized developed nations for failing to do enough, both on this issue and in regard to unfulfilled commitments to provide $100 billion in annual aid for their transitions to a greener economy.
At “how many COPs have we been arguing for urgent climate action? And how many more do we need, how many lives do we need to sacrifice?” Orlando Habet, the climate change minister for Belize, told COP27 Delegates.
Antigua and Barbuda will not leave here without a loss and damage fund
The president of COP27, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, stated that it was “clear that some issues require further technical work” as the conference was set to end on Friday with a number of issues still open.
“Progress has been made, but certainly more remains to be done if we are to achieve the robust outcomes that will drive ambitious, and inclusive climate action,” he told delegates.
Leading Alliance of Small Island States negotiator Conrod Hunte of Antigua and Barbuda said a stall in negotiations would be a “devastating blow.”
“Antigua and Barbuda will not leave here without a loss and damage fund,” he said.
The people of Saint Lucia’s Caribbean islands, according to Shawn Edward, minister of sustainable development, suffer as a result of major emitters’ “hypocrisy” in maintaining their investments in fossil fuels.
The aspirational target of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels is becoming more and more elusive as COP27 approaches, with CO2 emissions expected to reach a record high this year.
EU ups emissions goal
Timmermans assured attendees that the EU would surpass its initial goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
He cited agreements on the phase-out of fossil-fuel-powered cars and the protection of forests that acts as “carbon sinks” as evidence that the 27-nation bloc will now be able to reduce those emissions by 57% from 1990 levels.
According to Timmermans, “The European Union is here to move forward, not backward”
The talks in Egypt have been overshadowed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which activists claim is an attempt by the EU to access African natural gas supplies as a result of Russian supply cuts.
Timmermans refuted the idea that the bloc was making a “dash for gas” amid the conflict in Ukraine
