Co-hosted by ICAS Blue Carbon & Climate Change Program & Institute for China-Europe Studies
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 fulfil these agreements? Are there any recent developments in or retrogressions of these policies? Is establishing international institutions to form binding powers 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 work together 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 and the Institute for China-Europe Studies for this event to warm up for COP 27 in November.