World leaders wil head to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
(Picture: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)World leaders will meet in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on November 6 for two weeks of climate negotiations as countries struggle to cut carbon emissions amid a global energy crisis, war in Europe, and rising inflation.
Led by the country’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, with environment minister Yasmine Fouad serving as the event’s ministerial co-ordinator and envoy, the annual conference follows last year’s gathering in Glasgow.
It will see representatives from nations around the world discuss the big questions about safeguarding the future of the planet.
At last year’s summit, leaders agreed they must immediately do more to prevent a dangerous rise in global temperatures. But swift action has not materialised and the consequences of climate change — including deadly floods in Pakistan, famine in Africa, and heatwaves across Europe — have been evident.
All parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the landmark treaty signed between nations at the 1992 Earth Summit, can attend COP27. The agreement, signed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aimed to reduce “dangerous human interference with the climate system” and later led to the emissions-cutting deals of the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.
After widespread criticism, on Wednesday, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak reversed an earlier decision not to attend the conference. He will be joined by US President Joe Biden, alongside other world leaders.
Here is what we know so far according to the event’s official schedule, which is subject to change closer to Sunday.
Sunday, November 6
COP27 opens with a meeting of all delegates welcoming them to Egypt.
Monday, November 7
A number of workshops, events, and talks will get underway on day two, including the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit, hosted by Egypt.
These include the Local Communities and Indigenous People’s Platform’s (LCIPP) Annual Gathering of Knowledge Holders, a UN initiative intended to ensure indigenous knowledge is represented and integral to any agreements reached towards tackling climate issues.
Tuesday, November 8
The Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit continues on the morning of day three.
Other events taking place include LCIPP’s Annual Youth Roundtable, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) discussion of adaptation needs, and Global Climate Action’s (GCA) opening session.
Wednesday, November 9
Labeled Finance Day, day four includes events by the Global Stock Exchange (GST) Technical Dialogue.
There is also another LCIPP discussion, about the importance of indigenous women in climate leadership.
Thursday, November 10
Day five is designated both Youth and Future Generation Day, and Science Day.
The Youth-Led Climate Forum will take place in the morning, followed by two further discussions in the early afternoon. GST roundtables will also take place on enhancing international co-operation as well as briefings on advances in climate-reporting technology and a further LCIPP Gathering of Knowledge Holders.
Friday, November 11
Day six is Decarbonisation Day, and will see the last GTS session held, as well as the second instalment of LCIPP’s youth roundtable.
Saturday, November 12
The start of the weekend will see Adaptation and Agriculture Day.
This will feature deep discussions on ways to deal with food security, increase agriculture productivity, reduce losses in food-production chains, and enhance resilience for small-scale farmers.
Monday, November 14
Week two begins with both Gender Day, and Water Day.
A high-level ministerial round table on pre-2030 climate-change ambitions will take place in the morning, as well as an in-session dialogue on Gender Day.
Tuesday, November 15
This is ACE (Action for Climate Empowerment) and Civil Society Day, as well as Energy Day. It will be a day dedicated to engaging civil society and ensuring their views and perspectives are integrated in a meaningful manner.
Wednesday, November 16
As talks begin to wind down, Biodiversity Day will concentrate attention on the health of natural ecosystems across the world.
Thursday, November 17
Little is scheduled for the penultimate day of the summit, known as Solutions Day, in order to allow national delegates time to hold sideline talks of their own in the hope of forging bold new agreements.
Friday, November 18
The final closing sessions are held.
