Following the two-week climate summit in Egypt, representatives and negotiators from across the globe reached a series of conclusions; the most prominent of which being support for climate victims in the form of a loss and damage facility – with a commitment to set up a financial support structure for the most vulnerable by the next COP in 2023.
In July, the United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone has the right to live in a healthy, sustainable environment. In so doing, it recognised that the well-being of our society is inextricably bound to the functions of the natural world.
Today saw biodiversity take centre stage at COP27, which aimed to advance and institutionalize action towards valuing, conserving, restoring, and sustainably using biodiversity across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems to reduce climate change impacts and leverage nature-based solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change and build resilience for people and nature.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 16th November, will be biodiversity day at COP27, focusing on discussions around nature and Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Nature-based Solutions are actions that involve working with and enhancing natural habitats for societal good through restoration, management and protection; such as preserving and regrowing forests, and restoring wetlands and peatlands as carbon sinks, or regrowing mangrove swamps as barriers against storm surges and higher sea levels.
89% - the share of countries that signed up to the Paris Agreement that are failing to incorporate commitments to curb food waste into their NDCs, according to an analysis by NGO Wrap.
The weekend saw the fourth thematic day of COP27 focused on Adaptation & Agriculture, whereby developments and discussions centred around food systems, soil health, land use and more. The day of discussions has been viewed as critical against the backdrop of a global food crisis. With extreme weather wreaking havoc on crops, raging food inflation and the war in Ukraine, countries across the world are feeling the effects on our global food resources.
With immediate looming headlines around COP27 such as ‘World is on ‘highway to climate hell’, UN chief warns at Cop27 summit’, and growing disillusionment at the UNFCCC process itself, which teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg recently described as a “scam”, it can be hard to find stories about positive change and technological advances and breakthrough.