CSOs express deep concern over ongoing contention on COP27 negotiation outcome

Civil Society leaders from Most Vulnerable Countries (MVCs) have held a press conference in COP27 conference venue in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, reiterating their demand to show strong good will from developed countries to reach for realistic consensus in COP27.

They demanded from the big polluters a real action commitment to achieve the 1.5-degree temperature goal by 2050.

They also pressed demands for immediate declaration from developed countries on the issue of Loss and Damage Finance Facility within CoP 27 negotiation period.

The press conference titled "LDC & MVC Peoples' expectations and COP 27" was attended by representatives of different Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) – Ali Akbar Tipu, panel mayor, Khulna City Corporation; Shamim Arfeen, AOSED; Dr Mostafa Sarwar, professor, KUET; Soumya Datta, fellow, Ashoka Research Foundation, India; Prayash Adhikari, DigBikas Institute, Nepal; Samah Hadid from Norwegian Refugee Council and Atle Solberg, head of the Secretariat of Platform of Disaster Displacement (PDD).

The keynote on civil society expectation was presented by Aminul Hoque, from Bangladesh's EquityBD, reads a press release.

Presenting the keynote, Aminul Hoque said the negotiations which are coming near to the closing but UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies representing the parties still unable to reach with a concluding agreement on the key issues.

The primary draft texts [1.5 degree and L&D Financing] are still in the "brackets".

The draft texts in brackets reflect a lack of consensus among parties, he said.

The negotiators and the COP presidency have not been able to deliver a robust work programme on mitigation and financing since the discourse, which has disappointed among the MVCs and developing countries.

In the context, he put some key demands in favour of MVCs, those are ­–

developed countries should refrain with their destructive game diluting the issue of ending fossil fuel by 2050 and keep their promise and progressing the action to achieve the 1.5-degree goal as expected of most of the people, declare "Loss & Damage Financing Facility" without any delay and within COP27 process, because MVC and LDCs states have a legal obligation to uphold the rights of their citizens. Simultaneously, the historical polluters also have a moral debt to pay by upholding their fair share of mitigation, adaptation action and addressing loss and damage financing, and start immediate work for framing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) following the UNFCCC convention and the Paris Agreement to reflect equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities and in light of different national circumstances.

Prayash Adhikari said that the consensus has developed regarding the issue of pre-2030 ambition in high level round tables of COP27, where countries are firmly committed to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. But some countries especially the US and their allies are using 1.5 goal as a political pawn in their geopolitical chess game; Brazil for arguing for no cover decision on it; and some parties are reportedly even pushing for 1.5 should not be in there at all.

He warned developed countries and call upon the developed countries to keep their promise regarding the 1.5-degree goal.

Soumya Datta strongly argued the Net-zero initiative is entirely incompatible with existing continued investment in fossil fuel projects by the public and private sector of big polluting countries that will create debt burden for the poor and MVCs by pushing loan and carbon marketing process in the name of climate finance.

He called on all country parties to stop the process of such "vague" Net Zero emission and start the race to the "Zero Emission target" through ending the fossil fuel usage and reducing Carbon emission.

Samah Hadid condemned rich countries ignoring climate induced displacement happening among the African, Asian and other countries. She said that such countries are burning and sinking by climatic impact.

She urges to give proper focus with ensuring finance and other needed support.

Mostafa Sarwar criticised the developed countries, claiming them to be historic polluters and failing to act at the scale and speed of urgency-based actions.

"Delayed mitigation and adaptation action has increased the burden of loss and damage for MVC and LDCs and cost increased indeed. Developed countries should not delay declaring the Loss and Damage Financing and it should be done the within existing COP process," he added.

Atle Solberg opined that lack of proper support is making it hard for the poor and MVCs to manage their climate displacement.

He expects rich countries to come forward with need-based support and strengthen the Warsaw International Mechanism of Loss & Damage to become an effective role player.

Ali Akbar Tipu called the parties for a deep dive to develop a comprehensive frame on GGA as almost all countries [rich and poor] will have go under an inevitable adaptation strategy in the context of climate change.