The Democratic Republic of Congo, as the head of the pre-COP27 climate summit, has urged wealthy nations to raise funding to combat climate change, ahead of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next month.
Delegates from over 50 countries participated in the meeting on Monday. United Nations (UN) Chief Antonio Guterres warned nations that “a quantum level compromise between developed and emerging economies” was required.
Congo’s environment minister evokes previous promises
Environment Minister Eve Bazaiba asked countries to consider previous financial pledges and support proposals to compensate less developed economies for climate-inflicted damage. Bazaiba declared in Kinshasa that “no one will escape” in the absence of a global effort. “We all have the same air to breathe,” he added.
The environment minister was clear about the compensation not being a development aid by the rich nations but an investment in humanity’s future.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized the requirement for more money. He evoked a promise made at COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009 that ensured developing countries would receive $100 billion per year for projects to combat climate change.
Although the purpose of the pre-COP meeting is to set the agenda for the COP meeting, it is also intended to make countries aware of the current political situation and encourage them to consider it ahead of COP27.
UN Chief warns nations of “life-or-death struggle”
Addressing the informal summit via video link from the UN’s main buildings in New York City, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned all recent natural calamities in different parts of the world and said while “climate chaos gallops ahead, climate action has stalled.”
He also warned the governments of the big nations that their collective commitments at the G20 were coming “far too little, and far too late.” Mr. Guterres warned, “We are in a life-or-death struggle for our safety today and our survival tomorrow,” saying there is no time for pointing fingers or “twiddling thumbs” but instead requires “a quantum level compromise between developed and emerging economies.”
“The world can’t wait,” he spelled out. “Emissions are at an all-time high and rising.”
Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned that “all indicators on climate are heading in the wrong direction.”
