COP27 – A Snap Shot

November 1st

(General Comment)

A study has found that some of the world’s biggest nations are moving too slowly to reach the 2050 net zero targets signed under the Paris Agreement.

The Global Retrofit Index assesses the progress G20 countries are making to reduce emissions from existing buildings. It is said that in developed economies 80% of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 have already been built, meaning that policymakers have to get to grips with the challenge of making the existing global building stock fit for the future.

The study, conducted by UK-based sustainability consultancy 3Keel for the global insulation manufacturer Kingspan, has discovered that less than 1% of existing buildings in major economies are being given the necessary retrofitting upgrade — through energy efficiency renovations and refurbishments — each year. This means that they are well below the International Energy Agency (IEA) target of 2.5% rate by 2030.

 

November 6th

(General Comment)

Architects and built environment sustainability experts have expressed frustration at the slow pace of global action to reduce carbon emissions as the COP27 climate-change summit kicks off in Egypt.

British architect and co-initiator of campaign group Architects Declare Michael Pawlyn told Dezeen it was “hard to find causes for optimism”.

“It is very hard to be hopeful,” echoed Kenyan architect Kabage Karanja, pointing to a failure to properly involve young people and a lack of will from richer countries to find the money to deal with the effects of global heating.

“COP26 was bitterly disappointing”

“The outcome from the official negotiations of COP26 was bitterly disappointing,” added Studio Bark. “We should be circumspect about placing much hope in this process.”

The London architecture studio argued the Conference of the Parties (COP) format has been proven ineffective and should be scrapped altogether.

But Arup director for climate and sustainability Matt Kennedy struck a more positive tone.

“My expectations are high,” he said. “In terms of outcome, I want a global approach to climate action and sustainable development that is robust and defensible and that preserves ecological stability.”

 

November 7th

UK

‘The United Kingdom is delivering on our commitment of £11.6 billion.

And as part of this – we will now triple our funding on adaptation to £1.5 billion by 2025.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

 

November 8th

EGYPT

UAE President, Egyptian counterpart witness signing of agreement to develop one of world’s largest onshore wind projects in Egypt

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi of Egypt witnessed the signing of an agreement between Masdar, one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy companies, along with its Infinity Power joint venture with Infinity, Egypt’s main renewable energy developer, and Hassan Allam Utilities, to develop a 10-gigawatt (GW) onshore wind project in Egypt – one of the largest wind farms in the world.

 GERMANY

Germany’s contribution to the Climate Change Conference in Egypt: Ambition and solidarity.

We know what we have to do – phase out fossil fuel as quickly as possible and switch to renewables. Solar and wind power is already cheaper than the energy generated by new fossil fuel power plants, which will destroy our children’s future. In Germany we have launched the most ambitious programme in our history to expand the use of renewable energies and we will be climate neutral by 2045 at the latest. At the COP, we want to join forces with other countries and we will call for more ambition and a robust work programme with concrete reduction steps.

Annalena Baerbock, Federal Foreign Minister

November 9th

(General Comment)

COP27 has begun and we must have hope that the next two weeks will bring a concerted effort amongst world leaders to continue to intensify national responses to what is simply the challenge of our generation.

COP27 has begun and we must have hope that the next two weeks will bring a concerted effort amongst world leaders to continue to intensify national responses to what is simply the challenge of our generation.

Yes, cost is undoubtedly a factor, but so is the destructive cost of environmental disrepair. You can only have an economic planet if it is a healthy one.

In the lead up to COP27 the warnings from the UN have been getting louder and starker. We have to listen, and our elected leaders have to listen, and more importantly act.

Not all the solutions will emerge in the next two weeks, but when we look closer to home and the decarbonisation challenge, we face in housing, we tend to know what we need to do. We have that understanding, we have the evidence, and we understand residents want warmer better ventilated homes.

Andy Cameron-Smith, Editorial lead, Unlock Net Zero

GLOBAL

Students from 15 prestigious universities in nine countries called on world leaders to empower young people and uphold the principles of multilateralism in order to transition net-zero carbon commitments into action.

The call to action comes from the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) youth ambassadors who released an open letter directed to world leaders at the ‘Climate x’ event at COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Held in the China Pavilion on November 9, Finance Day.

During the event, youth ambassadors from GAUC unveiled a letter to global leaders on behalf of students across six continents, highlighting the need to harness the skills and drive of young people towards urgent climate action. Yenziwe Mbuyasa, GAUC’s Global Youth Ambassador from Stellenbosch University said: “The global youth have vested interests in climate action to help the world and are ready to contribute their passion, insights, intellect, and actions to protect our planet for a sustainable future.”

Developed by the next generation of climate leaders, the letter calls on decision makers to honor the principles of intergenerational equity and multilateralism, and to broaden channels for young people to effectively participate in global climate governance.

AFRICA

GIP Africa Chapter Launched at COP27

The Green Investment Principles (GIP) for the Belt and Road officially announced its second regional office, Africa Chapter, during the COP27. Hendrik du Toit, Founder and CEO of Ninety One, will be the Chairman of the chapter, and Brahim Benjelloun-Touimi, Group Director and General Manager at Bank of Africa BMCE Group will serve as the Co-Chair and Secretary General.

NORWAY

Norway pledges an additional US$9.5 million to climate adaptation for small-scale farmers

As part of a commitment to triple its support to climate adaptation by 2026, Norway has pledged an additional NOK 100 million (approximately US$9.5 million) contribution of urgently needed climate finance to the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) today. The funds will be routed through IFAD’s largest climate adaptation programme to some of the poorest small-scale farmers in developing countries. An agreement was signed between the two parties today at COP27.

As the effects of climate change intensify with devastating floods like those in Pakistan or the historic drought threatening famine in the Horn of Africa –the impact on poor rural communities increases while small-scale farmers struggle to adapt. Failure to support those who produce one-third of the world’s food will compromise food production, worsen global hunger and poverty, and jeopardize political stability.

 

November 11th

SWEDEN

Plea at COP27 for action tackling the plastic bottle tsunami swamping communities, beaches, and oceans around the planet

Bluewater, a Swedish innovator of award-winning hydration solutions and beverages, has lashed out at the lack of decisive action by world lawmakers to halt the production of single-use plastic bottles despite growing evidence of the threat posed to planetary and human health.

“Some 1.3 billion plastic bottles are purchased around the world every day and unfortunately many ultimately end up in landfill or the oceans after being discarded, subsequently then leaching a variety of potentially health threatening chemicals and microplastics into the environment,”

Philip Russell, Managing Director of Bluewater’s UK-based events company

 

November 12th

EGYPT

Egyptian LNG has awarded a feasibility study contract to the Bechtel-led Coalition for Decarbonization that includes Enppi, Petrojet, Baker Hughes, GE Digital, HSBC and NBE. The study will assess implementation of a zero-flaring system at the Egyptian LNG export terminal (ELNG) in Idku, east of Alexandria. H.E. Tarek El-Molla, Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, hosted the signing ceremony during the Decarbonization Day events at COP 27.

 

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