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UN climate conference in Egypt starts with first success

UN climate conference in Egypt starts with first success

On Sunday, the conference plenary agreed that financial aid for poorer countries to deal with the climate-related damage and losses that are already occurring should be anchored as a separate item on the negotiating agenda at COP27 for the first time.

This shows “a sense of solidarity and compassion for the suffering of the victims of climate-related disasters,” said COP27 President, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri, to delegates from more than 190 countries. At the same time, he emphasized that the negotiation point was not about “responsibility or compensation”. At the UN climate conferences, the fight against the causes of climate change and measures to adapt to global warming are in the foreground. The industrialized countries have already promised the developing countries regular financial aid for this.

For years, however, developing countries and small island states have pointed out that they are already feeling the effects of global warming more severely than rich industrialized countries. They are therefore calling for additional financial aid from the industrialized countries in this area. In the almost 30-year UN climate negotiations, however, no financing mechanism for this has yet been decided.

Environmental and development organizations refer to the polluter pays principle on the topic discussed under the buzzword “loss and damage”. Although developed countries bear the brunt of the blame for global warming, poorer countries suffer the most from the consequences.

Fearing an obligation to pay infinitely high reparations, the industrialized countries, especially the USA, have blocked negotiations on financial aid for climate-related damage and losses in recent years. Now at least the view has prevailed that the increasingly urgent topic can no longer be ignored.

Criticism of the missing Federal Chancellor

In a broadcast, Fridays for Future Austria called for an international set of rules for “loss and damage” financing. Austria must work to ensure that an international mechanism for the distribution of this money comes about and take the first step. “Austria must now take responsibility,” demanded activist Klara König and should follow Denmark’s example and make 13 million euros available. The absence of Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) at the COP was also criticized.

In a broadcast, the Austrian youth delegates demanded, among other things, a massive increase in the amount of climate finance in Austria and a “fair share” of the financing target: “We are thinking of doubling or tripling here.” The climate expert of the aid organization Bread for the World, Sabine Minninger, welcomed the inclusion of the topic on the official negotiation agenda. “It’s a very, very good start.”

The organization Human Rights Watch, on the other hand, sees no improvement in human rights in Egypt. “As COP27 participants arrive, it is clear that the Egyptian government has no intention of relaxing its abusive security measures,” said Adam Coogle, the organization’s North Africa affairs officer, on Sunday. This also applies to the severely curtailed freedom of speech and assembly in Egypt. At COP27, protests are only allowed at certain times and in a specially designated zone.

Austria will be represented at COP27 by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on his first trip abroad after his re-election. Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) will visit the COP on the part of the Federal Government, followed in the decision-making week by Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). The conference, which is scheduled to run until November 18, is entitled “Together for Implementation” and is intended to help achieve the goals defined at the 2015 World Climate Conference in Paris.

Source: Nachrichten

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