Why COP27 was one step forward, two steps back

IN TYPICAL COP fashion, governments seized a last-minute agreement on Sunday (Nov 20) in summit “overtime”, including a breakthrough on the “loss and damage” agenda.

However, welcome as the new deal is, this was a summit which took a step forward, but two steps backwards on the overall goal to raise climate action ambition, with the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal agreed in Paris in 2015 now in increasing peril. With the need for much greater results, COP27 has therefore increased calls for fundamental reform of the United Nations-led climate framework process, which may no longer be fit for purpose.

Yet, disappointing as the overall results were of the Egypt event, the loss and damage outcome was a significant success. The Global South has generally welcomed since Sunday the move to support developing countries with the damaging impact of rising global temperatures, including extreme flooding, storms, drought and rising sea levels, despite having contributed little to the pollution that caused it.