“COP27 must send clear political signals to renew efforts for strong outcomes at the UN Biodiversity conference next month”
16 November 2022
Full press conference of 16 November available on:
CAN: Climate Action Network Press Briefing on COP27 | UNFCCC
16 November 2022:
Speaking at a press briefing today by Climate Action Network, civil society experts called for renewed attention to the intersection of biodiversity loss and climate devastation. We cannot focus on one and ignore the other, they said. “The multilateral process must address both these crises with equal seriousness.”
The speakers also highlighted the need for immediate debt cancellation for low-income climate-vulnerable countries. Several countries in sub-Saharan Africa for instance are caught in a trap of economic distress and climate vulnerability.
The G20 statement today from Bali offered some positive messages around protecting the 1.5C degree Celsius, Paris Agreement threshold on global warming and calling for a just energy transition. The real test to put leaders’ statements into action will be the cover decision text from COP27 that must emphasize a phase-out of all fossil fuels and set up a funding facility to address Loss and Damage
At the press conference, Melanie Coath, Principal Climate Change Policy Officer, RSPB, said: “On Biodiversity Day at COP27, it is critical that negotiators note that the science is clear: we can’t solve the climate crisis without also tackling the biodiversity crisis. Biodiversity is central to climate change mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage. Yet talks under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), due to hold its 15th COP next month, have stalled for two years. Parties to the UNFCCC must send an urgent political signal in the COP27 Cover Decision for a strong and ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework to be delivered at CBD COP15.”
Li Shuo, Global Policy Advisor, Greenpeace East Asia, said: “The world’s response to climate change should not be decided by major emitters only. Smaller and climate-vulnerable countries must have a voice too, and that is why the multilateral process under the UN is vital.
The G20 Leaders’ Declaration presents little progress on climate, energy and biodiversity. However, it manages to prevent backsliding on key issues including 1.5C. It sets a floor for global climate action rather than a ceiling.”
Heidi Chow, Executive Director, Debt Justice, said: “Climate-vulnerable countries did not cause the climate crisis and yet they are being forced into a debt trap to pay for the damage unleashed by the climate crisis. Rich, polluting countries created the climate crisis and should stop shirking their responsibilities and pay up through grant-based climate finance, set up a loss and damage finance facility at COP27 and cancel the debt.”
Sandeep Chamling Rai, Senior Advisor – Global Adaptation Policy, WWF, said: “The catastrophic climate impacts that we are witnessing around the world are just the tip of the iceberg. Without urgent action to combat the climate crisis and to build resilience of communities and ecosystems to climate-related disasters, the world will face an unprecedented and protracted humanitarian and ecological crisis. In the last few hours of negotiating time we have left at COP27, parties need to ensure the safety of vulnerable people and biodiversity with a roadmap for doubling adaptation finance and allocating at least 50% of public climate finance for adaptation as grant finance. Let’s not make adaptation a step-brother of mitigation and loss and damage when the COP is happening in Africa, one of the most vulnerable continents”
Contact:
For more information, contact Dharini Parthasarathy, Global Communications Lead, CAN International; email: dparthasarathy@climatenetwork.org, or WhatsApp/call on +918826107830
About Climate Action Network:
Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of over 1800 NGOs in over 150 countries, working to fight the climate crisis. www.climatenetwork.org .