The conference of Parties 27, commonly known as COP 27 brought over 200 leaders from across the world to share ideas and solution on the climate change issues affecting the world.
Some of the issues discussed were climate, finance, food and security, and global warming amongst others.
One of the major outcomes was the agreement to provide loss and damage, funding for vulnerable countries hit hard like climate change, such as rising sea levels. But critics have said that the COP 27 UN summit in Sham Sheik, Egypt did not go far enough on cutting the emissions that caused climate change.
Speaking on concerns of critics that the COP 27 in Egypt did not go far enough at cutting the emissions that caused climate change, despite coming up with the establishment of Loss and Damage Fund, Environmentalist and executive director of African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, David Ugolor said what happened in Egypt was unfortunate, but we have to make do with what was available.
He stated that the establishment of the Lose and Damaged Fund, like the UN Secretary General noted is an opportunity for justice Messaging, a call for justice.
According to Mr Ugolor, establishing the fund again sent the right political signal that the world have come to acknowledge the injustice caused by climate change around the world.
The fund realised from this commitment, Mr Ugolor said is nothing to write home about considering the cumulative negative impact of climate change around the world.
” I say that what happened in Sham sheik wasn’t really too good for Africa because, like, the cop 27 was tag African Cup, but what really came out of it, does it really benefit Africa? Not really.
Mr Ugolor added that the Loss and Damage Fund established is still at the critical stage and we are yet to know what it really entails and what fund that is available for it to implement some of the objectives why it was established.
“At this point in time, we acknowledge the justice element of this fund because it’s a struggle that has come a long way from almost ten years. And some of us, we see it as an opportunity to again acknowledge that the people’s voice triumphed in Sham sheik.
Speaking further Mr Ugolor noted that there were a lot of factors responsible for the uncertainty that overshadowed the COP27.
The Russian-Ukraine world has also brought another different narrative around the need to move towards alternative renewable energy, and the world interests have shifted entirely away from Africa towards the Ukraine world.
European unions are grappling under the energy crisis caused by the Ukraine world and obviously the US government, Canadian government, other developed countries, their interests have also shifted along that line, which again, was unfortunate for COP 27 and obviously because of this shift of interest, European unions are looking for alternative energy, thankfully, enough gas was seen as an opportunity in Africa. But ultimately, the infrastructure to produce this is not there.
“We are working towards an alternative energy that is sustainable, that is renewable.
“Rather than focusing on this, the European Union needs a short term action to keep to the crisis they are facing because of the Ukraine war, and more interest is now more focused on fossil fuel and obviously the oil companies and most national air companies took an advantage of these to swamp into sham sheik, and came with over 600 lobbyists.
“The outcome of the Egypt meeting, the company reflected mostly the interest of these oil companies rather than the interest of Africans who are currently facing the crisis of the global warming.
