Inside COP27: Analyzing the Shortcomings in Curbing Emissions

By Adeyemi Adekunle

In November 2022, delegates across the world gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt for the COP27 climate conference. One of the main goals of the conference was to find ways to reduce global emissions and keep the world on track to meet the Paris Agreement targets.

However, the conference was largely seen as a letdown, as it could not agree on any substantive measures to address emission reduction. This is large because many countries, including the United States, are not meeting their Paris Agreement commitments.

There were some positive developments at COP27, such as the launch of the Science-Based Targets initiative. However, much more needs to be done if we are to meet the Paris Agreement targets and avoid catastrophic climate change.

Critical Veins of COP27

COP27 was a meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aimed to address the reduction of global emissions.

Despite this goal, the meeting fell short in several ways. Firstly, it was not able to agree on a final document. This demonstrates that there is no clear path forward for reducing emissions.

COP27 despite the larger presence of creme de la creme it could not reach an accord on financial aid for developing countries. This will make it difficult for these countries to transition to clean energy sources.

The withdrawal of the United States’ announcement from the Paris Agreement sent a signal that the US is not seeing tackling climate change as a crucial issue.

Challenges in Setting Emission Reduction Targets

If COP28 host by UAE will make an headway in 2023 a critical stand it must take is looking at The Paris Agreement that set a target of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius in curbing emissions.

To achieve this, each country was required to submit a plan outlining how it would reduce its emissions. These plans were then reviewed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and modified as needed.

The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27), was meant to finalize these plans and set a timeline for their implementation. However, the negotiations were fraught with difficulty and failed to produce any meaningful results.

One of the main problems was the inability of countries to reach an agreement on how much each one should contribute to the overall goal. The United States, for example, wanted other countries to bear more of the burden, while countries such as India argued that they should not be held responsible for emissions generated by past actions.

Another issue was that many of the decision-makers were not technically qualified to make decisions about climate change. This led to several last-minute compromises that were not well thought out.

COP27 was a missed opportunity and did not do enough to curb emissions.

Limitations of the Paris Agreement on emissions control

Although the Paris Agreement was a major step forward in the fight against climate change, it had several limitations.

The Paris Agreement set targets for reducing emissions but did not specify how these targets would be met. This left it up to each country to decide for itself how to reduce emissions, which led to a lack of cooperation and coordination.

The Paris Agreement also did not take into account the difference in capabilities between developed and developing countries. This led to some countries being asked to do more than their fair share, while others were not required to do anything.

Another salient point missed was the Paris Agreement lacked enforcement mechanisms, which meant that countries could not be held accountable for not meeting their emissions targets.

Roles of Developed & Developing Nations in curbing emissions

One of the reasons COP27 could not make any significant progress in curbing emissions was the failure to adequately address the role of both developed and developing nations. Developed countries are responsible for contributing a majority of emissions, but developing countries are increasingly contributing more from a variety of sources. This means that all nations should work together to identify steps toward reducing global emissions.

However, this is difficult because developed countries have historically produced more emissions and used up resources that poorer nations need to fuel their economic growth. Thus, a real solution needs to involve both developed and developing nations working in tandem with each other.

Considerations for Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies

At COP27, many adaptations and mitigation strategies were discussed. Adaptation strategies seek to reduce the effects of climate change, while mitigation ones focus on reducing emissions. While some progress was made in these areas, there are significant challenges that all countries must grapple with to effectively implement these strategies.

The most difficult challenge facing the countries involved is how to prioritize emissions reduction while still allowing their economies to grow. The costs of implementing such measures can be prohibitively high and may lead to economic depression in some countries due to decreased competitiveness. Further, many countries are heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and transitioning away from them will take time and resources. As such, reaching a consensus on how best to approach this issue has been difficult for governments to do at COP27.

Impact of COP27 on Climate Change

Despite the best efforts of the governments involved, it is clear that COP27 was not able to address the issue of emission reduction in any detail. The summit was marked by conflicting ideas and a lack of commitment from many countries, and this did not bode well for any progress to be made on climate change.

The failure of COP27 is particularly damning as it is widely believed that emission reduction targets are a key part of any strategy to combat global warming. With no binding commitments from countries at the summit, it looks unlikely that meaningful progress on this front can be achieved.

The meeting was fraught with disagreements among nations, with several rich countries refusing to take more ambitious action to curb emissions. The talks also revealed a rift between the United States and the rest of the world over the Paris Agreement, with developing countries blasting the Trump administration for its decision to withdraw from the accord.

The conference ended with a nonbinding agreement that nations will work to update their emissions-cutting plans every two years, a move that environmental groups said was not enough to avert catastrophic climate change.

In the end, the talks in Egypt show that there is still a long path to go before the world can agree on a plan to address a changing climate.