At the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference this weekend in Sharm el-Sheikh, Eygpt, the European Commission is calling on all parties to take urgent action to bring down greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
It is also calling on countries to respect the commitments they made under the Paris Agreement, as well as in the Glasgow Climate Pact adopted last year at COP26.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, 194 countries agreed to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which represent their individual emissions reduction targets.
Collectively, these NDCs should contribute to keeping average global temperature change below 2° and as close as possible to 1.5° by the end of the century.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is representing the commission at COP27 which begins tomorrow (Sunday, November 6).
“This year COP27 takes place against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its implications for energy and food prices in Europe and beyond,” von der Leyen said.
“The world has already recognised the need for a strong green transition to mitigate climate change and is putting in place the relevant policies. Now we also see that we need the green transition to not be held hostage by such aggressors.
“Climate change won’t wait a single day, so Europe is staying the course on our international climate commitments, as shown in particular by the EU agreement on zero-emission cars last week. Europe will be a reliable partner and ally for all those who want a sustainable future on our shared planet,” she added.
COP27
From November 14-18, executive vice-president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans will lead the EU negotiating team.
Commissioners for Energy, Kadri Simson; for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius; and for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski will also participate at events at COP27.
The commission’s negotiating team will push for the implementation of existing commitments to move to concrete actions, including through the adoption of a Mitigation Work Programme to urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation.
On adaptation to climate change, the EU is committed to achieve clear progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).
Nature-based solutions, which were highlighted in last year’s Glasgow Climate Pact, play a crucial role in enabling adaptation to climate change and preserving biodiversity, which will also be a key topic at the Biodiversity COP15 later this year, according to the commission.
On the issue of loss and damage, the EU is seeking effective solutions to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable countries around the world facing the effects of climate change.
The EU is backing an official agenda item on averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage. This would enable parties to discuss the best way forward to facilitate swift access to finance and scale up support for vulnerable countries and communities.
The commission has said that it will also work with developed countries to ensure they double financing for adaptation by 2025 compared to 2019 levels.