COP27 ends with historic deal but little progress on fossil fuels

COP27 has finally come to a close after two weeks of deliberations and a historic deal on loss and damage has been struck, emboldening nations suffering from climate catastrophe.

The conference over ran by 40 hours as nations frantically tried to close negotiations, with 200 nations agreeing to establish a loss and damage fund to help developing nations cope with the effects of a heating planet.

But there was also disappointment, as the conference failed to take the transition away from fossil fuels any further and little progress was made in securing the 1.5°C target.

The G77, a coalition of developing countries, still welcomed the loss and damage fund which they had campaigned for throughout COP27 and were unwilling to give up.

Sherry Rehman, climate change minister in Pakistan, said: ‘This is not about accepting charity. This is a down payment on investment in our futures, and in climate justice.’

However, there is widespread concern that the 1.5°C target is now unrealistic, as no new commitments to phasing out fossil fuels were made. Scientists say global heating over 1.5°C could lead to more erratic weather, lower crop production, higher sea levels and could put more coral reefs at risk.

Tuvalu finance minister Seve Paeniu told the Financial Times more than 80 countries had supported proposals to phase out fossil fuels. Several negotiators said oil and gas producers, like Saudi Arabia, had weakened the final agreement.

Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, which are threatened by rising sea levels, tweeted her reaction:

I wish we got fossil fuel phase out. The current text is not enough. But we’ve shown with the loss and damage fund that we can do the impossible. So we know we can come back next year and get rid of fossil fuels once and for all

— Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner (@kathykijiner) November 20, 2022

Climate activist Mikaela Loach, who spoke on a youth panel at COP27, also voiced her disappointment at the outcome of the conference: ‘#COP27 was both a success and a huge failure: A Loss & Damage agreement is historic after 30 years of fighting from the most impacted nations & civil society – it *must* be celebrated and then fought for. But, COP yet again failed by refusing to phase OUT *all* fossil fuels…’

António Guterres, who previously warned that ‘we are on a highway climate hell’, said more climate ambition was urgently needed.

Photo by Ny Menghor