During the nearly 30 years of climate peaks, there have been many breakthroughs, but also many disappointments.
The first climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh has already started and will continue until November 18. For two weeks, countries from all over the world gathered for climate negotiations.
Gro Harlem Brundtland believes that the seriousness of the summit could not be greater.
– There is only a short time left until 2030 and 2050. A very short time compared to what is required to get there.
– We are in a difficult phase. But as I said, in ’87, it can be done. What is needed is political will, says Gro Harlem Brundtland.
– What will your appeal be?
Don’t close your eyes, know there’s little time left, and do your thing.
“Mother Climate Summit”
Gro Harlem Brundtland is both Prime Minister and Minister of Environmental Protection and can rightly be called the “Mother of Climate Summits”.
She chaired the Global Commission on Environment and Development, also called the Brundtland Commission. in the report”Our common futureIn 1987, they proposed holding a world summit on environment and development.
After five years it was Rio Conference Reality. It was the biggest peak ever. For the first time, environmental and climate problems were put on the international agenda.
Rio: Gro Harlem Brundtland (AP) received a briefing from CIO Oviend Ostang when she returned home from an environmental conference in Rio in 1992.
Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB
– She said at the summit held in the summer 30 years ago that our children and grandchildren and the earth itself are crying out for a revolution.
This was the beginning of the annual climate peaks, which began in 1995. Because it was here climate agreement Established. was too Convention on Biological DiversityAnd the Agenda 21It is a comprehensive plan of action to achieve sustainable development around the world.
– You defended a revolution. Has it become the revolution you were hoping for?
– not enough. It was too slow.
NRK
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What will be important at the Egypt Climate Summit?
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From words to actions
- The Climate Summit in Egypt is the 27th in the so-called COP (Conference of the Parties) series. The conference is for the 198 countries that are part of the United Nations Climate Agreement (UNFCCC).
- Delegates from nearly 200 countries have arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh for the 13-day meeting. Most heads of state were present in the first few days.
- COP27’s motto is “Together to Deliver”, “Together to Deliver” (i.e. practical implementation of what has been promised in terms of emissions reductions, financial assistance and other climate measures).
emission reduction
- It is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow global warming.
- The 2015 Paris Agreement is based on voluntary emission reductions for individual countries. Every fifth year must be measured and registered with the United Nations.
- Last year, states were invited to reassess the target, although there is no new “official” deadline this year. Norway presented its new target during the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Summit (reduce emissions by 55 percent by 2030).
A long way to go to the finish line
- If countries cut their emissions as promised, global warming is expected to be around 2.5 degrees in 2100, according to the United Nations. It is far from the target in the Paris Agreement of “much less than 2, preferably less than 1.5 degrees”.
- In Sharm El-Sheikh, the United Nations will strongly encourage the countries of the world to cut more than today. Several countries are likely to announce more ambitious climate targets during the meeting.
loss and damage
- Extreme droughts, floods, fires, heat waves and other forms of extreme weather occur more often and are more severe due to climate change, according to the researchers.
- Loss and economic damage from climate change has become a very hot topic in Sharm El Sheikh.
- Poor countries are the most vulnerable, and have fewer resources to deal with the consequences. They expect the rich countries to stand up.
- Do rich countries have ‘legal responsibility’ for climate change? Do poor countries have a “compensation” claim? What kind of system does one have to deal with? It’s going to be a tough mess at COP27.
money on the table
- During the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009, it was decided that rich countries would provide $100 billion annually in climate finance from 2020.
- The money was supposed to go to poor countries, to help them reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change.
- Getting paid has been slow. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the target will be reached in 2023 at the earliest, and in Sharm el-Sheikh, the rich countries will be pressured to put more money on the table.
So many tears, but also joy
– I was happy when I was in Copenhagen and saw that they finally managed to set the two-degree target, even though it looked quite dark. So in the last few hours they managed to reach an agreement between the United States and China on that. This was crucial to what happened next, up to Paris and beyond, Brundtland says.
The following year, the two-degree target was officially adopted. In 2015, the target was reinforced again, this time Once with the aim of limiting the temperature rise on Earth to “well below” 2°C, preferably 1.5°C.
Highlights: For Brundtland, the 2009 Climate Summit in Copenhagen was an important point in the series of Climate Summits.
Photo: Kristen Granbow/NRK
The Paris Agreement in 2015 was a turning point. But an agreement at the Climate Summit must also be followed up in practice.
We could have made much more progress in energy efficiency, in renewable energy than we did. This is where we must go. And that is what will now be crucial in the coming years, lest we fall into complete disaster when it comes to the climate.
Based on the goals presented by the countries of the world to the United Nations, the global temperature is expected to rise by 2.5 degrees. Another UN report mentions a score of 2.8 as a scenario with current policies.
– This doesn’t hold up. We have to go down to 1.5. Which is why it’s going so slowly, Brundtland says.
She believes the sustainability goals, which came in 2015, were crucial for the Paris Agreement to become a reality. Now we have a convention that applies to all countries, not just developing countries.
Now contemplate a new high point in Sharm El Sheikh. She believes that climate solutions are also part of the solutions to the food crisis and the energy crisis. Everything is connected.
We must keep the focus on the climate. And I think that many delegations going to Egypt know that they are serious.
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