UN Climate Change Conference prioritizes keeping focus on 1.5-degree target

ANKARA

The priority agenda at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, aims to pursue efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the deputy executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change said.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency ahead of the COP27 Summit that will start on Nov. 6 in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Ovais Sarmad said one of the main priorities for COP27 is to "make sure that we keep the 1.5 degrees target alive."

This would be possible with true mitigation action, he said, adding: "There is a very elaborate mitigation work program that has been already developed by the parties, by the countries and that now needs to be fully implemented. And COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh will be reviewing that program to agree on its implementation."

Also, greenhouse gas reduction, adaptation strategies to climate change, and cooperation are among the main priorities of COP27, Sarmad said.

$100B pledge of climate finance

Stressing the significance of addressing adaptation strategies against global warming at the upcoming summit, Sarmad said: "Adaptation is an extremely important part of addressing climate change because they are vulnerable countries, the countries in the global south who are affected very severely with the impacts of climate change."

Also, $100 billion in climate finance per year by 2020 committed by developed countries to help underdeveloped countries tackle the effects of climate change has an important place in the adaptation strategies, he said, adding that the strategies will be discussed and agreed on in Sharm el-Sheikh.

"Those promises have been made and are needed to be fulfilled. And we, in the United Nations, are trying very, very hard to bring those parties together to find the resources, the funding that is needed by the developing countries to really fulfill those promises," he added.

It is not only a matter of funding but also commitment, he said, noting: "The funding that is needed is in millions or even trillions of dollars. But the good thing is there are opportunities, economic opportunities to implement the right climate action measures that will release that funding. So, that is another objective of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh to mobilize that support."

Tendency to resort to coal and fossil fuels

On the tendency to go back to coal and fossil fuels, he said: "Some countries are attempting to go back to fossil fuels and that is a very unfortunate measure that those countries are taking and we are working very closely with those countries to prevent that from happening."

Switching to renewable energy sources is economically much better and cost-effective than moving back to fossil fuels, he said.

"I know it is easier to go back to bad old habits, but as our secretary-general says, we need to get away from that old bad habit (of) relying on fossil fuels. Because the renewable energy movement is already there, we just need to believe in it and start implementing the measures," Sarmad added.