So, the COP 27 drew to a close at Sharm El-Shaikh after lengthy and sometimes acrimonious negotiations. First, the good news. A decision has been taken to set up a fund for “loss and damage” – a longstanding demand from climate-vulnerable countries. Whether this turns out to be symbolic or substantive will depend entirely on the colour of the money. Still, it represents a paradigmatic shift in the positions of the wealthy countries who were viscerally opposed to the very notion of “loss and damage” a few years ago.
There is no question that the planet is in the ICU. The issue is who pays for the immediate treatment of the patient and more important, who pays for the full recovery which in this case could take decades. Considering previous COPs have been obsessed about mitigation, it is ironical that COP 27 has little to show in this regard. Indeed, activists will argue that there has been backsliding in this regard. The introduction of the concept of “low-emission energy” is significant, because it could be interpreted as an indefinite reliance by greenhouse gas emitting countries on fossil fuels such as gas.
And then there is the elusive goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree celsius compared to pre-industrial times. The Paris Agreement was clear: it asked countries to absolutely do everything to limit global warming to well below 2 degree celsius, even while making efforts to keep it below 1.5 degree celsius. But reports since then indicate that there has been a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions making the 1.5 degree celsius goal difficult if not impossible. A resolution sought by some countries saying emissions must peak by 2025, did not pass muster causing further dismay amongst activists.
The Paris commitment of developed countries to give $100 Billion Dollars to poorer countries from 2020 onwards has been honoured more in breach. The Glasgow (COP 26) summit agreed to double the $20 Billion that will go to adaptation ; while mitigation is about reducing greenhouse gases, adaptation is about infrastructure in poorer countries to cope with climate change. This has been maintained after a struggle at COP 27.
There is broad recognition that India is doing all it can to contribute to the fight against climate change. We are now clearly seen as part of the solution, rather than as part of the problem as in the past. Still, key challenges remain as we balance the goals of clean air, job creation and poverty alleviation. At the end of the day, COP meetings are about the politics of climate change; COP 27 at Sharm El-Shaikh was no different in this respect.
Diplomacy and Geopolitics 