COP27 deal may repel West bid to skirt blame
SHARM EL SHEIKH: The first draft of a deal being hashed out at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt appeared to repel efforts by developed nations to shift onus of action and funding to some developing countries like India and China, setting up what appeared to be hard red lines that meant consensus was elusive less than 24 hours before a Friday deadline.
Released as a “non-paper”, or an unofficial draft, by Egypt’s COP27 president, the 20-page text retains the distinction between rich and poor nations and highlights the Paris Agreement principles of “equity” and “common but differentiated responsibilities”, which relates to the fundamental understanding that countries will act as per their national circumstances and respective capabilities.
“Time is not on our side, let us come together now and deliver by Friday,” COP27 President Sameh Shoukry said in a letter to delegates published on Thursday.
Key among the issues discussed was the 1.5° C goal. COP27 countries, the document said, “stresses the importance of exerting all efforts at all levels to achieve the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels,”.
It goes on to point out that developed countries have failed to mitigate emissions based on their fair share and historical responsibility, a portion that is likely to be of particular contention.
“Expresses deep regret that developed countries who have the most capabilities financially and technologically to lead in reducing their emissions continue to fall short in doing so, and are taking inadequate and unambitious goals to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, while they continue to emit and disproportionately consume the global carbon budget,” the draft said.
Another issue, key from India’s perspective and that of several other developing nations that rely on cheaper coal for energy, was on how to stress on efforts to phase it out. The early draft did a balancing act by calling for phasing down of coal and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, but cushioned it by stating that the efforts will be based on national circumstances and just transition.
“Stressing the importance of enhancing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix at all level as part of diversifying energy mixes and systems, and encourages the continued efforts to accelerate measures towards the phase down of unabated coal power and phase out and rationalise inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, in line with national circumstances