Cop27

COP27

From 6 to 18 November,  2022 ... Heads of State, ministers and negotiators, along with climate activists, mayors, civil society representatives and CEOs will meet in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the largest annual gathering on climate action.

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP27 – will build on the outcomes of COP26 to deliver action on an array of issues critical to tackling the climate emergency – from urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience and adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change, to delivering on the commitments to finance climate action in developing countries. 

Faced with a growing energy crisis, record greenhouse gas concentrations, and increasing extreme weather events, COP27 seeks renewed solidarity between countries, to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement, for people and the planet. 

“Today and in light of the unmistakable messages in the recent IPCC reports, and following COP26 in Glasgow, we are once again called upon to act rapidly if we are to really meet the 1.5-degree goal, build our resilience, and enhance our capacity to adapt. I deeply believe that COP27 is an opportunity to showcase unity against an existential threat that we can only overcome through concerted action and effective implementation. As incoming Presidency Egypt will spare no effort to ensure that COP27 becomes the moment when the world moved from negotiation to implementation and where words were translated to actions, and where we collectively embarked on a path towards sustainability, a just transition and eventually a greener future for coming generations.” —From the Welcoming Address by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Please go here for the schedule of events.

CURRENT NEWS

The global warming confab in the Egyptian desert was a mirage

By Bob Berwyn 11/24/22
Amid fighting over croissants and climate, the UN’s COP27 mirrored a world that can’t come together to break free of fossil fuels and avoid a catastrophic future.
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COP27: Key outcomes for food, forests, land and nature at the UN climate talks in Egypt

By Aruna Chandrasekhar and Others 11/24/22
The COP27 summit in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh made history by including food, rivers, nature-based solutions, tipping points and the right to a healthy environment in an overarching COP “cover decision” for…
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COP27 leaves world on dangerous warming path despite historic climate fund

By Sarah Kaplan 11/20/22
The final decision of the U.N. Climate Conference in Egypt made little progress on emissions-cutting measures that could avert worse disasters to come....
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Rich countries agree to pay for climate damages in poor nations

By Brad Plumer, Lisa Friedman, Max Bearak and Jenny Gross 11/19/22
After 30 years of deadlock, a new U.N. climate agreement aims to pay developing countries for loss and damage caused by global warming. But huge questions remain about how it would work.
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How to pay for climate justice when polluters have all the money

By Bill McKibben 11/19/22
The climate summit just concluding in Egypt ran hard into one of the world’s greatest structural problems: most of the money is in the Global North, but most of the need is in the Global…
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China’s surprise visit to US-EU event hints at cooperation on methane

By Joe Lo 11/17/22
China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua unexpectedly dropped in on a Cop27 ministerial meeting led by the US and the EU, raising hopes that the world’s largest emitter will renew cooperation around methane emissions. The post…
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Climate talks hit ‘breakdown’ over finance, fossil fuels as time dwindles

By Sarah Kaplan 11/17/22
Rich and poor nations remain split on compensation for climate change impacts, as China and U.S. leaders engage on cutting methane emissions.
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Biden Casts America as Climate Leader and Promises a ‘Low-Carbon Future’

By Lisa Friedman and Jim Tankersley 11/11/22
President Biden appeared before an overflowing United Nations convention on Friday to reclaim America’s role as a leader on climate change and to stress a renewed U.S. commitment to stop the planet from catastrophic warming.
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At COP27 Biden says U.S. will ‘do our part to avert’ a ‘climate hell’

By Siobhán O'Grady 11/11/22
President Biden pledged that the United States will “do our part to avert” a “climate hell,” citing a warning by the U.N. secretary general earlier this week in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort city hosting…
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Countries set out 12-mth plan to speed up industry emission cuts

By Simon Jessop 11/11/22
Countries representing more than half of the global economy on Friday specified the steps they will take to help accelerate the low-carbon transition by cutting emissions in sectors including power, transport and steel.
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From nuclear power to bamboo: The climate solutions at COP27

By Pranshu Verma 11/11/22
Homes built out of bamboo shoots. Zero-emission hydrogen fuels for cars and jets. Small nuclear reactors to power Africa. Restoring ocean mangroves to store carbon.
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KEY RESOURCES

COP27 Reaches Breakthrough Agreement on New “Loss and Damage” Fund for Vulnerable Countries

11/20/22
“This outcome moves us forward,” said Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary. “We have determined a way forward on a decades-long conversation on funding for loss and damage – deliberating over how we address…

The Global South Climate Database

11/07/22
The Global South Climate Database is a publicly available, searchable database of scientists and experts in the fields of climate science, policy and energy.

Factbox: COP27: Major players at the U.N. climate talks in Egypt

11/04/22
Each of the 197 signatories to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has its own concerns and interests, which can make reaching any consensus a huge challenge

Interactive: Who wants what at the COP27 climate change summit

11/02/22
Thousands of diplomats and officials from all over the world will soon arrive at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for COP27. There, they will negotiate the next steps for international climate action while…

In numbers: The state of the climate ahead of Cop27

10/28/22
In the two weeks ahead of the Cop27 summit in Egypt, every group of climate wonks has a report out on the state of the play. Overwhelmed? We’ve got you covered.

COP27 World Leaders Summit

10/06/22
The hosting of COP27 in the green city of Sharm El-Sheikh this year marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the thirty years since, the…

Q&A: Should developed nations pay for ‘loss and damage’ from climate change?

09/26/22
This year has seen thousands of people killed in a run of unprecedented extreme weather events. Catastrophic flooding has caused at least 1,500 deaths in Pakistan in recent weeks, while record heat has blighted much…

MORE NEWS

World has nine years to avert catastrophic warming, study shows

By Sarah Kaplan   11/11/22  
Nations will likely burn through their remaining carbon budget in less than a decade if they do not significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution, a new study shows, causing the world to blow past a critical…
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Pelosi accuses Republicans of treating climate crisis like ‘it’s all a hoax’ at Cop27

By Oliver Milman and Nina Lakhani   11/10/22  
Nancy Pelosi has accused Republicans of treating the climate crisis like “it’s all a hoax” while at the Cop27 climate talks in Egypt, where the US delegation is attempting to remain upbeat about continued progress…
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The Paris Agreement is working … for now

By Robinson Meyer   11/09/22  
This week, tens of thousands of diplomats, activists, and world leaders are gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for the annual United Nations climate summit, known as COP27. They’re meeting to discuss the ongoing implementation of…
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Oil and gas greenhouse emissions ‘three times higher’ than claimed

By Fiona Harvey   11/09/22  
Climate Trace reports half of 50 largest sources of greenhouse gas are oil and gas operations and many underreport their emissions.
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House Republicans to push nuclear power, natural gas at COP27

By Maxine Joselow and Vanessa Montalbano   11/08/22  
House Republicans heading to the United Nations climate conference in Egypt plan to argue that nuclear power and natural gas are essential to meeting global climate goals, the head of the delegation said Monday, even…
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UN experts demand crackdown on greenwashing of net zero pledges

By Adam Morton   11/08/22  
A UN group set up to crack down on the greenwashing of net zero pledges by industry and government has called for “red lines” to stop support for new fossil fuel exploration and overuse of…
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A climate change report card for the world

By Sarah Kaplan   11/07/22  
Last year’s United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, had the same optimistic energy as the first day of a new school year. The United States — a truant since the nation withdrew from the…
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In a shift, U.S. says companies are pivotal to climate talks’ success

By Evan Halper and Others   11/07/22  
With war, inflation and electoral chaos preoccupying world leaders, the Biden administration is looking for corporations to take center stage as the U.N. Climate Change Conference gets underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
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As Glasgow forest pledge turns to action, most signatories drop out

By Joe Lo   11/07/22  
As a pledge from last year’s UN climate summit to save forests firms up into an active partnership, most signatories have dropped out. At Cop26 in Glasgow, UK, 145 nations representing over 90% of the…
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U.N. chief calls for global climate pact, warning of ‘highway to climate hell’

By Allyson Chiu and Others   11/07/22  
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres called for the creation of a “climate solidarity pact” between wealthier and developing countries to meet key climate goals in opening remarks at this year’s U.N. climate change conference in…
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Coke Is a Sponsor of the Climate Summit in Egypt. Some Activists Aren’t Happy.

By Cora Engelbrecht   11/07/22  
The decision to include Coca-Cola as a major sponsor of this year’s United Nations climate summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, has angered many climate activists, who cite a recent report that says the company’s…
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Switzerland Is Paying Poorer Nations to Cut Emissions on Its Behalf

By Hiroko Tabuchi   11/07/22  
Switzerland, one of the world’s richest nations, has an ambitious climate goal: It promises to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. But the Swiss don’t intend to reduce emissions by that much…
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Countries Made Bold Climate Promises Last Year. How Are They Doing?

By Brad Plumer   11/07/22  
A year ago, at the United Nations climate change conference in Glasgow, heads of state and business leaders made a long list of splashy promises to help fight global warming.
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Developing Nations Have a Message at Global Climate Talks: Polluters, Pay Up

By Brad Plumer and Others   11/06/22  
In Pakistan, flooding this summer killed 1,700 people and left one-third of the country underwater. In Fiji, entire villages are retreating inland to escape rising seas. In Kenya, persistent drought has killed livestock and devastated…
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Brazil, Indonesia and DRC in talks to form ‘Opec of rainforests’

By Patrick Greenfield   11/05/22  
The big three tropical rainforest nations – Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – are in talks to form a strategic alliance to coordinate on their conservation, nicknamed an “Opec for rainforests”,…
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What is COP27? What you need to know about the U.N. climate summit.

By Ellen Francis and Others   11/05/22  
Tens of thousands of people from around the globe will descend on Egypt starting Sunday for the annual United Nations climate change summit.
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Nations converge to address climate change

By Lisa Friedman   11/04/22  
World leaders will gather in Egypt next week to confront climate change at a moment of colliding crises: a war in Europe that has upended energy markets, rising global inflation, deep political divisions in many…
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As climate disasters grow more costly, who should pay the bill?

By Alejandra Borunda   11/04/22  
First came a record-shattering, months-long heat wave, roiling Pakistan from March to May. Just a few weeks later came months of crushing, punishing rains that flooded a third of the entire country. The floods’ economic…
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What do big polluters owe?

By Somini Sengupta   11/04/22  
The most important lesson I’ve learned as a global climate correspondent is this: The most acute impacts of climate change are often felt by those who are least responsible for the problem.
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As Other Global Crises Collide, Nations Converge to Address Climate Change

By Lisa Friedman   11/04/22  
World leaders will gather in Egypt next week to confront climate change at a moment of colliding crises: a war in Europe that has upended energy markets, rising global inflation, deep political divisions in many…
Read more

Glaciers in Yosemite and Africa will disappear by 2050, U.N. warns

By Rick Noack   11/03/22  
Glaciers in at least one-third of World Heritage sites possessing them, including Yosemite National Park, will disappear by mid-century even if emissions are curbed, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization warned in a new…
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Interactive: Who wants what at the COP27 climate change summit

By Aruna Chandrasekhar and Others   11/02/22  
Thousands of diplomats and officials from all over the world will soon arrive at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for COP27. There, they will negotiate the next steps for international climate action while…
Read more

Ahead of COP27, New Climate Reports are Warning Shots to a World Off Course

By Bob Berwyn   11/01/22  
The gaps between climate promises, including last year’s global methane pledge, and emissions are growing, while the coming climate negotiations may be distracted by world events and disinformation.
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PEW

Nature-Based Solutions Can Help Fight Climate Change

By Courtney Durham & Lauren Spurrier   11/01/22  
Negotiators from nearly 200 countries will gather in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from Nov. 6-18 at the 27th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference —known as COP27—in an effort to agree on solutions…
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Why Greta Thunberg is shunning the U.N. climate conference this year

By Shannon Osaka   10/31/22  
Greta Thunberg, the activist from Sweden, was catapulted to worldwide fame at a climate conference. In 2018, the then-15-year-old wandered the halls of a United Nations conference venue in Poland in a black zip-up hoodie…
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Cop27 movers and shakers: Nine people shaping the climate agenda

By Chloe Farand   10/28/22  
Hiked food and fuel prices, ballooning debt and economic downturn are threatening global climate action as the nation prepares to host the Cop27 climate summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
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In numbers: The state of the climate ahead of Cop27

By Chloe Farand and Others   10/28/22  
In the two weeks ahead of the Cop27 summit in Egypt, every group of climate wonks has a report out on the state of the play. Overwhelmed? We’ve got you covered.
Read more

Kerry says major emitters must address climate impact on Africa

By Zack Budryk   10/27/22  
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry emphasized the need for major greenhouse gas emitters to do their part to mitigate climate change in remarks Tuesday, specifically citing the disproportionate risk to African nations relative to their…
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War in Ukraine Likely to Speed, Not Slow, Shift to Clean Energy, I.E.A. Says

By Brad Plumer   10/27/22  
The energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is likely to speed up rather than slow down the global transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner technologies like wind, solar and electric vehicles,…
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Kerry softens message on climate payments for poor nations

By Sara Schonhardt   10/27/22  
Special climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday moved the United States one step closer to addressing the most divisive issue heading into global climate talks next month: payments to poor countries for irreparable damage caused…
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How to Combat Climate Disinformation Around COP27

10/26/22  
Next month, the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP), the annual UN Climate Negotiations Conference, will kick off in Cairo, Egypt. Once again, negotiators and politicians from all over the world will join up to…
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The Field Report: As COP27 Approaches, a Push for More Attention to Food and Agriculture

By Lisa Held   10/26/22  
On November 6, world leaders will meet in Egypt for COP27, the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. In the run-up to the event, many groups are calling attention to what they see as…
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Climate Plans Remain Insufficient: More Ambitious Action Needed Now

By Alexander Saier   10/26/22  
A new report from UN Climate Change shows countries are bending the curve of global greenhouse gas emissions downward but underlines that these efforts remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius…
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John Kerry is looking for money (to help save the climate)

By Bill McKibben   10/24/22  
Private capital may require some “concessions” before it helps developing countries transition to clean energy.
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U.S. groups urge Kerry to back climate compensation fund

By Valerie Volcovici   10/24/22  
Over 100 U.S. environmental groups on Monday urged top U.S. climate diplomat John Kerry to support the creation of a fund that would compensate countries that have experienced economic and physical loss from climate change,…
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South Africa’s Environment Minister Says COP27 Won’t Advance Climate Ambition

By Antony Sguazzin   10/24/22  
An upcoming global summit on climate change is unlikely to result in more ambitious targets or additional financing for developing nations struggling to adapt, South Africa’s Environment Minister said.
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The US May Have Scored a Climate Victory in Congress, but It Will Be in the Hot Seat With Other Major Emitters at UN Climate Talks

By Marianne Lavelle   10/23/22  
A year of floods, drought and other events linked to global warming have galvanized developing nations to demand redress for their losses. After years of frustration, they will also seek stronger commitments from colossal polluters…
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Egypt’s Carceral Climate Summit: Naomi Klein on the Crisis of COP27 Being Held in a Police State

10/21/22  
Egypt is preparing to host world leaders next month at the U.N.’s annual climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, a move that prominent environmentalist and author Naomi Klein calls “greenwashing.” While the government embraces superficial causes…
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PR firm accused of greenwashing big oil is helping organise COP27

By Ben Webster and Others   10/21/22  
The US public relations firm helping Egypt organise COP27 also works for major oil companies and has been accused of greenwashing on their behalf, openDemocracy can reveal. Hill+Knowlton Strategies, which has worked for ExxonMobil, Shell,…
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COP27 is all about the money

By Tim Mcdonnell   10/19/22  
A bill for climate change is coming due: $4.3 trillion. That’s the sum the US and other major carbon polluters will face at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next month.
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UN climate talks in Egypt must urgently focus on methane

By Morgan Bazilian and Others   10/11/22  
In about a month, the global climate community will descend upon Egypt for the next round of annual climate change talks convened by the United Nations. At the same time, much of Europe will be…
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Biden will attend COP27 — the U.N’s climate change summit — in Egypt

By Tyler Pager and Others   10/07/22  
President Biden will travel to Egypt to attend this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss…
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COP27: Why is addressing ‘loss and damage’ crucial for climate justice?

By Daisy Dunne and Josh Gabbatiss   09/29/22  
The death and destruction that can result from climate change is not evenly distributed around the world. Those who have often contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions, because they are poor or live in…
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EU won’t back climate damage fund talks at COP27, says draft

By Karl Mathiesen   09/29/22  
The European Union won't back developing country demands for a new fund to be created at the COP27 U.N. climate talks, according to a draft negotiating plan. The document, which may change before being finalized…
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Cop27: Egyptian hosts urge leaders to set aside tensions over Ukraine

By Fiona Harvey   09/28/22  
The Egyptian hosts of the next UN climate summit have issued a plea for countries to set aside tensions and animosity over the Ukraine war for the sake of focusing on the climate crisis.
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Loss and damage: What happens when climate change destroys lives and cultures?

By Daisy Dunne and Aruna Chandrasekhar   09/28/22  
High in the Peruvian Andes, there is a glacier whose disappearance has been linked to the departure of the gods. In the belief of the Quechua people, Mount Ausangate is a powerful god of the…
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Timeline: The struggle over ‘loss and damage’ in UN climate talks

By Josh Gabbatiss   09/27/22  
Small-island nations have been sounding the alarm about climate change for more than three decades, fearing a future in which their communities and homes are engulfed by rising seas.
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Pakistan’s Biblical Floods and the Case for Climate Reparations

By Mohammed Hanif   09/26/22  
We have tried, in various ways, to convey to the world the scale of destruction caused by recent floods in Pakistan, because, apparently, a third of the country underwater and thirty-three million lives upended doesn’t…
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