What is COP?
Every year, 197 countries come together to review progress made by members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to limit climate change: COP, or the Conference of Parties, is essentially the decision-making body of the UNFCCC where representatives from all participating countries come together to discuss important issues surrounding climate change.
A major undertaking that all countries participate in during COP is to review the national communications and emissions inventories submitted by the different countries; from this information, COP, as a collective, works to assess the effects of the measures taken by the Parties in the previous years and their progress towards creating a more climate friendly planet. Essentially, it is a chance for countries to come together to plan, reflect, and create a more environmentally secure future.
This year is the 27th installment of COP–aptly named COP27. COP27 will take place at a time where there are complex and challenging issues going on–mainly surrounding Russia and Ukraine. Putin’s war against Ukraine has not only “left millions facing acute hunger, but the heavy dependence on Russian energy sources, especially gas, has plunged Europe into an energy crisis which some countries are using as an excuse to reinvest in fossil fuels, instead of pushing for renewables.”
Why is it necessary to hold such events?
Well, the scientific evidence surrounding climate change is clear: the Earth’s climate is warming and so as a result, our lives are being impacted. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year”. This is due to numerous issues, namely malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress
We are already seeing so many effects of the climate crisis: a third of Pakistan is underwater–something our school knows about from the readathon–Europe’s hottest summer in over 500 years, a million displaced from flooding in Nigeria, droughts in the Horn of Africa, wildfires in California. Even in our local communities last year, we saw flooding and forest fires that plagued BC. The need for bold climate action has never been greater.
So, though we often think about climate change as something that will happen in the future, it is an ongoing process that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later; this makes world events such as COP27 that much more important.
What happened at COP27 this year?
Since COP27 took place in Egypt this year, they laid out their visions and goals, and there are four main pieces to it: mitigation, adaptation, finance, and collaboration.
In terms of mitigation, a major goal was to limit global warming to well below 2ºC and work towards the 1.5ºC target. In order to do this, it was suggested that bold and immediate actions from all countries, especially those who are more economically developed, should be taken. In terms of adaptation, world leaders and governments have promised to continue to follow through on the Global Goal on Adaptation–which was a significant outcome of COP26. In terms of finance, a major goal for the meeting was to create progress on issues of climate finance while continuing to move forward. Additionally, it was also to discuss the importance of finance in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Thus, it was made clear that there is a need for enhanced transparency of finance flows to meet the needs of developing countries. In terms of collaboration, a key aspect/goal was to enhance and facilitate agreement in the negotiations to achieve tangible results in a balanced manner. The advancement of partnership and collaboration would help ensure the world is adopting a more resilient and sustainable economic model where humans are at the center of climate talks. Overall, ensuring humans are at the center of climate talks is imperative for successful collaboration. Governments, the private sector and civil society need to work in tandem with people, to transform the way in which we interact with our planet. Another goal was to introduce new innovative solutions that can help alleviate the adverse impacts of climate change, especially in developing countries where replication and upscaling is difficult.
On top of this there are also a few takeaways/summaries from COP27:
1. A need for structural reform of finance for nature and climate
2. Strong signs of political will for forests
The creation of the FCLP (Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership) is being driven by the fact that there is no time to lose when it comes to reversing or even halting forest loss by 2030. Thus, there was a focus on FCLP member countries partnering to set priorities for forestation.
3. Implementation of forest pledges
4. Nature of negotiations
Nature-based solutions were included in the COP27 negotiations for the first time, with forests, oceans and agriculture each having their own section.
5. Technology meets nature
6. Food finally arrives on the scene
Food was on everyone’s mind at COP27 in Egypt; however, for the first time, it also made it onto the main agenda, with at least five event spaces solely dedicated to food and agriculture.
7. An increasingly blue COP
Observers have expressed encouragement at COP27 being “an increasingly blue COP”, with the ocean called out in the final declaration and the first ever ocean pavilion in the blue zone.
8. African-led initiatives take center stage
9. Indigenous peoples and local communities
The critical role that Indigenous peoples and local communities play as guardians of the forest is now firmly established and beyond question. At COP27, there was a polite but palpable frustration from them that climate funds are not reaching them.
What are some things that we as high school students can do to support these goals?
I think that there are a few things we as students can do to help make Earth a better place in terms of the environment. First off, using our voices to raise awareness–no matter big or small–can allow people to understand not only how widespread climate change is, but also how if we all play a part in working together, we can at least mitigate some of the impacts we are seeing because of climate change. This can be something as simple as telling your friend about COP or reminding your parents to minimize light or water usage within your house. It can even start with yourself: making sure you are aware of what’s happening in the world and making sure that the choices you are making are not harming the environment no matter how small they may be.
On top of that, though it may seem trivial and miniscule in impact, is participating in garbage cleanups and other volunteer activities. Rather than going out with your friends to walk around aimlessly in a mall, organize a cleanup at a beach or park. I personally have organized numerous garbage cleanups, and the feeling you get after collecting bags and bags of trash is a feeling akin to no other; on top of that, you get to help your community be a cleaner place! Below is a link to host or join a garbage cleanup: you are provided with garbage bags, gloves, and other garbage cleanup tools by the municipal of Vancouver. Even volunteering with organizations like DIRT (Dedicated Invasive Removal Team) with Stanley Park is a great way to not only get involved with your community but also make a difference in the environment. So, what are you waiting for!
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