The international climate change conference, COP27, ended in the early dawn hours of Sunday morning with celebration on creation of the Loss and Damage Fund, the result of 30 years of advocacy by developing countries and civil society. The details of the fund will be developed over the next year or two.
"This decision, taken on African soil, brings hope for vulnerable impacted peoples and communities not just in the continent, but for the entire Global South”, stated Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network International. However, “(w)hile COP27 begins to address the consequences of the climate crisis, it failed to commit to phasing out fossil fuels, which are at the root of the climate crisis. More fossil fuel extraction means more losses and damages and more devastation. We need a rapid yet equitable transition away from the fossil era to renewables."
Canada played a constructive role at COP27, voicing support for loss and damage and language related to a phase-out of “unabated” fossil fuels. Click here to listen to Canada’s Catherine Abreu, founder and Executive Director of Destination Zero, reflect on the outcomes of the event and her optimism for the future going forward (23:18 min).
The intense negotiations over the past two weeks took place with the backdrop of the prolonged drought and imminent famine affecting millions of people in the Horn of Africa. Click here for the CBC interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario who recently visited Somalia on assignment for National Geographic.
The focus now shifts to each country and the actions needed to avert climate collapse. Civil society continues with a critical role to play.
