There are now fewer than one hundred days before the 27th session of the Conference of the
Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC, which is set to take place in Egypt from November 7-18, 2022.
The world’s climate is deteriorating at a much faster pace than expected as we experience more
frequent extreme weather and natural disasters. Also, the current measures on climate change
set during COP 26 are far from being met. With the ambition of making this conference into “a
radical turning point in international climate efforts in coordination with all parties,” COP
27 seeks to find solutions to both imminent and persisting climate crises. COP 27 hopes to
continue the world’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the framework of the
Paris Agreement. Meanwhile, it plans to support the climate-vulnerable countries in adapting
to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Therefore, financing and assisting developing
countries that lack the monetary and technical capacities to achieve the stated goals is
another essential component of COP 27.
Are countries delivering on their climate protection
agendas as they promised at last year’s COP 26 and the Paris Agreement, which was signed almost
seven years ago? What are some examples of noticeable domestic policies designed to fulfill these
agreements? Are there any recent developments in or retrogressions of these policies? Is establishing
international institutions to form binding forces in affecting countries’ domestic environmental
policies a feasible solution? As an important topic of COP 27, what are examples of practical measures
in assisting developing countries to mitigate and reverse climate challenges? How do we encourage
different actors to walk together in the same direction and consider using one another’s comparative
advantages in multilateral cooperation? Considering recent downturns in both geopolitical interactions
and mutual trust, how do we ensure countries pay close attention to environmental problems while
not using it as a bargaining chip? Conversely, would healthy competition be a good solution to
bring all major powers back to the table? Join the ICAS Blue Carbon & Climate Change Program for
this event to warm up for COP 27 in November.