Review of COP27 | Stuck, or almost

“We are still going in the wrong direction, but a little slower,” says an expert.

COP27 delegates agreed on an agreement to support developing countries affected by climate change, but much remains to be done before it becomes a reality. Many observers have been disappointed by the failure to set new ambitions for lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as we “move away from the target” of 1.5°C, and by Canada’s performance.

A celebrated fund

The adopted text proposes to “create a loss and damage response fund”¹ for developing countries. Details are to be worked out by COP28, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates in 2023.

This agreement “is a huge step,” said Professor Kathryn Harrison, a climate policy specialist at the University of British Columbia (UBC), noting that it is “a point of contention for decades which was opposed by the United States and Europe.

Environmental groups such as the Réseau Action Climat and Équiterre also welcomed this aspect of the agreement, as did leaders of the international community.

Zambia’s environment minister called the result “very positive for 1.3 billion Africans”. South Africa’s environment ministry hailed “progress”, but called for “urgent action” to “ensure compliance with the obligations of developed countries”.

Kénel Délusca, president of the group of experts from the least developed countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also spoke of “a step in the right direction”, but stressed that “the needs are enormous, so there there is still a big gap to fill”. Operational details will be the subject of difficult discussions, he predicted.

Disappointment on GHG reduction

“We need to drastically reduce emissions [de gaz à effet de serre, GES] now — and this is an issue that this COP has not addressed, regretted Mr. Guterres. We must invest massively in renewable energies and put an end to our dependence on fossil fuels. »

Contrary to the commitment made in Glasgow in 2021, COP27 failed to increase the level of commitments to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

The adopted text refers to the end of “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”, but not the exit from oil or gas.

The text reaffirms the objectives of the 2015 Paris agreement, which aims to limit global warming “well below 2°C” compared to the pre-industrial era, and if possible, to 1.5°C .

Current promises, if fulfilled, could limit global warming to 2.4°C by the end of the century. “We are moving away from the objective and we will probably exceed it very soon,” lamented Mr. Délusca. In such a scenario, “the consequences will be dramatic,” insisted Professor Julie Talbot, director of the geography department at the University of Montreal, recalling that GHG emissions have increased since the Paris agreement.

“We are still going in the wrong direction, but a little slower,” Professor Harrison tempered.

Canada not up to the task

Environmental groups argue that Canada’s contribution to the negotiations has fallen short of the climate crisis.

The fact that representatives of the oil industry were invited to the Canadian pavilion at COP27, for example, is “simply unacceptable,” argued Andréanne Brazeau, political analyst at Équiterre. “The large space reserved for lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry at this COP was frankly shocking […]. This demonstrates the lack of seriousness of many countries, Canada in the lead, to achieve the objectives of mitigating global warming,” added Professor Talbot.

As for Canada’s commitment to end public funding of fossil fuels, “there is still no trace of that and no concrete progress, at least none that is public,” said Ms.^me Brazeau.

While Canadian authorities are aiming for a 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030, they also plan to increase oil production by 5% — a “major inconsistency,” according to Équiterre.

According to Patrick Bonin, head of the Climate-Energy campaign for Greenpeace Canada, the federal government’s effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is a “failure” and Canada is currently “not on the right track”. way “.

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, on the contrary, welcomed the progress regarding the creation of the fund for “loss and damage” and the phasing out of coal. “We are more determined than ever to support the global transition to cleaner and renewable forms of energy, freeing ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels,” he said in a statement on Sunday evening.

With Agence France-Presse, The Canadian Press, Éric-Pierre Champagne and Jean-Thomas Léveillé