The 27th United Nations Climate Change summit, COP 27, is underway next week as Europe tackles an energy crisis amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Pledges and promises during last year’s conference need to be renewed to stay on track and force emissions into a plateau by 2025, according to Scientific American.
What is the COP summit?
Governments come together during this U.N. climate summit to discuss and commit to steps to fight climate change, according to BBC.
COP, which refers to the “Conference of the Parties,” is on its 27th installment.
When does COP27 start?
The annual climate change convention will begin on Nov. 6 and end on Nov. 18.
Where is COP27 being held?
Last year, Glasgow, Scotland, was the city to host but this year conference will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egpyt, where negotiations will continue.
Why are COP meetings necessary?
Since lighting climate change has to be a global effort, it's crucial that all countries come together to discuss and agree on solutions that can mitigate global warming over 1.5 degrees celsius.
There are health consequences of rising temperatures, including higher mortality rates, pregnancy complications and heart disease, while the drier soil could impact agriculture and local ecosystems, as I previously reported.
A recent U.N. report found that based on current progress and climate pledges, the world will experience a warming of anywhere between 2.1 to 2.9 degrees.
Who is going to COP27?
According to BBC, more than 200 governments have been invited. Some top officials going are Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack from the U.S., and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson from U.K.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg will not be in attendance after criticizing the forum for “greenwashing,” according to The Guardian.
“The cops are mainly used as an opportunity for leaders and people in power to get attention, using many different kinds of greenwashing,” she said, per the report.