What is COP27?
Cop27 is the over-arching summit for addressing climate change. It happens yearly in a different country each year. This year it was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. This convention brings together nations that have signed the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), the Kyoto Protocol, or the Paris Agreement. The point of the convention is to jointly address the issue of climate change and promote joint solutions. This past conference focused on three main areas: Reducing emissions, helping countries prepare for and deal with climate change, and securing technical support and funding for developing countries to address the above issues. The overall consensus from the media, reporters, civilian activists, and others is that COP27 did not address (with urgency) the issues of the world. I
What is the media is telling us about COP27 in the U.S.?
If you’re an average, everyday person living in the US, your exposure to COP27 was little at best. However, the coverage of the conference was still thorough and in the general news cycle. Not only was the U. S’s involvement in the conference heavily covered, through releases from the State Department or President Biden and the White House. However, the reports posted from these government offices picture the U. S’s presence in the fight against climate change as an active and forward-moving fight. The news websites such as The Economist and The Guardian depicted the U.S. in another light riddled with criticisms. The US was continuously attacked for its “obstruction and for falling to reckon with its role as history’s largest ever emitter of planet-heating gases…the US was given the unwanted title of ‘colossal fossil’.” The United States isn’t the only country receiving heat from the ineffectiveness of the conference. Calls to slow and eventually stop altogether the usage of fossil fuels were blocked by Saudi Arabia and Russia, who are oil-producing states dependent on the production.
What is the media is telling us about COP27 in the Middle East?
COP27 being held in Egypt holds many purposes ranging from international significance to redefining the importance of smaller countries and specific countries in the Middle East and Africa. Much of the media highlighted examples of tragedies most recently, the flood in Pakistan. The country, “set its sights on COP27 to advocate its case, and sent a solid delegation to Sharm el-Sheikh.”
The coverage of MENA countries was surprisingly very abundant. Countries were covered about concerns with energy and the declining water. With the COP27 in Egypt many MENA countries have stated that because the conference is in the region and will be in the United Arab Emirates next year, this gives Arab and African countries the opportunity to push for more advances in strategy and climate finances. The consensus over both regions is that COP27 needs to set “more ambitious plans to tackle the effect of climate change on displaced people – and to demand stronger action from international donors and decision-makers.”
Sources:
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/11/24/cop27-was-disappointing-but-us-china-climate-diplomacy-is-thawing
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/worldview-with-suhasini-haidar-climate-change-conference-are-rich-and-poor-countries-divided-on-cop27-outcomes/article66183217.ece
The COP27: What’s at stake for activists, climate finance, and loss and damage?
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/11/11/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-initiatives-at-cop27-to-strengthen-u-s-leadership-in-tackling-climate-change/