The 27th International Conference of Parties Celebrates Climate Equity and Accountability

Each year, the United Nations gathers political leaders, scientists, environmental organizations, corporate partners, and other passionate observers for their Conference of Parties (COP27). The primary objective of this annual event is to provide the opportunity for governments, specifically those signed onto the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to make commitments and discuss tangible steps they will take to help stall the climate crisis. Trends in scientific research related to climate change are also discussed with a heavy footprint from the International Panel on Climate Change, whose reports infamously coined the 1.5 degrees warming threshold.

Bird’s Eye View of COP27

This year, the global summit which occurred from November 7 to November 18, was hosted in Egypt, and more than 35,000 participants were expected to attend. COP27 was organized with three objectives in mind: reduce emissions, help countries prepare for and respond effectively to climate change, and secure technical support and funding to tackle climate mitigation and resilience projects.

With more than 2,000 speakers and 300 topics of discussion, it is difficult to summarize the breadth of the conference in its entirety. By and large, however, each day of the conference focused on a specific theme. Some of these topics included: science, decarbonization, youth and future generations, gender, and water solutions. To learn more about these themes and the breakdown of major topics, check out the COP27 Presidency Vision.

Equity and Environmental Justice

Seeing as the conference was hosted in Africa this year, environmental justice was expected to be a top tier priority. For those unfamiliar, environmental justice is a responsive movement to address disproportionate impacts of climate change and other environmental issues on poor and marginalized communities, which are often the hardest hit despite being the least responsible. For example, there are currently 20 million people in east Africa who are facing food insecurity as a result of climate-change induced drought.

Secretary-General António Guterres, described in an opening speech of the conference, “The deadly impacts of climate change are here and now. Loss and damage can no longer be swept under the rug. It is a moral imperative. It is a fundamental question of international solidarity—and climate justice. Those who contributed least to the climate crisis are reaping the whirlwind sown by others.”

At APTIM, environmental equity, resilience, and climate justice are critical considerations across all our projects and service lines, but especially in our disaster recovery and remediation work. We understand that a transition to a clean, energy efficient economy often neglects underserved communities. That is why we integrate vulnerability and hazard impact assessments into our resilience efforts and focus heavily on designing systems that serve the high-risk communities in which they are located.

Conclusion

All in all, the COP27 Conference has reinforced the notion that climate action is more important than ever before. More importantly, it brought to light that just, concrete action is the only way forward in our global fight, and together with our impassioned partners, APTIM hopes to be a part of paving that path.

Author

Alexa Smith
Content Marketing Specialist, Environmental and Energy Solutions
Alexa.Smith@APTIM.com

Contact

Joel Freehling
National Director, Cleantech
Joel.Freehling@APTIM.com