The high-profile 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) ended today. From the 6th to the 17th of this month, the Global Times reporter participated in a number of press conferences and communicated with representatives and media personnel from various countries, deeply feeling the fierce game of all parties. One of the highlights of the meeting was that developing countries, especially African countries, bravely spoke up to defend their interests and competed with developed countries. At the same time, there are divisions within developed countries over financial assistance to developing countries. Not only did Western countries fail to fulfill their commitments to developing countries, but some Western media also unreasonably accused China, which was forcefully countered by China.
The Egyptian president's speech was repeatedly interrupted by applause
Starting from November 6, about 40,000 people from more than 190 countries, regions and international organizations and people from all walks of life gathered in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The reporter of the Global Times felt the enthusiasm of the participants, especially those from developing countries. When applying for the relevant documents, the reporter saw that the place where the certificate was issued was crowded, just like the scene of the railway station during the Chinese Spring Festival. In the media zone, the host country, Egypt, provided hundreds of computers for media professionals from all over the world. When the Global Times reporter and other colleagues communicated, they found that media professionals from developing countries are generally full of expectations for the conference, hoping that Egypt can speak up for developing countries and urge developed countries to fulfill the commitments they made in 2009. At the Copenhagen climate conference, developed countries pledged to provide at least $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 to address the challenge of climate change.
"As the host country, Egypt named this year's Global Leaders' Summit 'Climate Implementation Summit' to highlight countries' commitment to climate change." At the opening ceremony of COP27 on the 7th, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi delivered a speech, urging developed countries to fulfill their commitments on climate change and help the developing countries that have been hit hardest by the climate crisis. He stressed the need for the world to make all developing countries, particularly in Africa, feel that their priorities were taken into account and responded to, and for developing countries to assume their responsibilities in addressing climate change, within the limits of their capacity and the amount of financing available.
The reporter noticed that Sisi's speech was repeatedly interrupted by applause, especially when he said that Western countries should fulfill their aid commitments to developing countries. Fatima, a member of the Bahraini delegation who attended the meeting, told the Global Times: "Sisi is speaking from the standpoint of a developing country, which gives people hope. Egypt's "Pyramid Newspaper" bluntly said in the report that Sisi's speech was aimed at the West, and that he was speaking for the developing countries represented by Africa and cheering for the interests of developing countries, so he was warmly welcomed by the participating developing countries, especially African countries. The exacerbation of many natural disasters was caused by a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from rich industrialized countries, which had been shying away from the issue of compensation to developing countries. Before COP27, the issue of loss and damage was finally put on the agenda of the conference after being proposed by negotiators from the Group of 77 and China, a group of developing countries, and after extensive discussions among about 200 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
"Give us money!" Bahamian Prime Minister Davis shouted to developed countries. "More than 40% of our debt is directly linked to the impacts of climate change, which will increase the number of such crises," he stressed. Namibian President Geingob denounced developed countries as "criminals" because they are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in history. Barbados Prime Minister Motley said large countries could survive extreme weather and natural disasters, but smaller countries were less resilient. Palau President Saranger Whips stressed that the coronavirus pandemic has hit the country's economy hard and that despite efforts to rebuild, "the climate crisis is tearing us to shreds."
The African Climate Change Policy Centre under the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said during the meeting that climate change has a great impact on the gross domestic product (GDP) of African countries, and for every 1 degree Celsius increase in global temperature, the GDP of African continent countries will drop by about 2.25%; For every 4 degrees Celsius, there is a decrease of about 12.12%. Western, central and eastern Africa is more affected than the south and north. The African Development Bank report shows that the continent needs up to $1.6 trillion between 2020 and 2030 to control the already obvious adverse effects of climate change and adaptation.
According to the Wall Street Journal of the United States, the African continent is one of the most sympathetic climate victims on the planet. Sub-Saharan Africa, home to about 11 percent of the world's population, emits only 2 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, and about 4 percent of global carbon emissions across the continent, yet Africa is the biggest bearer of climate risks. The latest report by the African Development Bank says the continent's per capita GDP growth is losing 5 to 15 percent due to climate change. According to the United Nations International Environment Programme, these least developed countries receive less than 3% of the current spending of African governments on adaptation each year.
"It's not fair that the entire continent emits less than 5% of global carbon emissions, but is the most affected by climate change! Developed countries should honour their financial commitments to assist Africa in addressing climate change. We don't receive money, but we are asked to pay for climate change, and this situation cannot continue! Wachira, a member of the Kenyan delegation, said indignantly in an interview with the Global Times.
Inside the Papua New Guinea pavilion, the Global Times reporter saw a striking slogan: "We need $100 billion to save our rainforest!" Kevin Conrad, executive director of the Rainforest Nations Alliance, explained that they wrote this to mock the $100 billion in climate change financing that developed countries made years ago to developing countries that had been slow to materialize: "What we're saying is that $100 billion isn't enough just to protect the rainforest." We need far more than that." Asked if the current crises have affected developed countries from fulfilling their commitments, Conrad sarcastically said they have many excuses to say it's because of the coronavirus pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Developed countries spend trillions of dollars on other things, but they can't even come up with $100 billion on climate change. On the afternoon of the 16th, the Alliance of Small Island States, composed of 43 member countries, issued a joint statement, criticizing the inaction of many developed countries, which has dealt a devastating blow to the establishment of a "loss and damage" financing mechanism.
"How far does the West want to play the fool?"
"Only Europe is paying." French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Europe were "on the right track" to reducing emissions, but wealthy non-European countries such as the United States were not. The Global Times reporter noticed at the meeting that the attitude of representatives of developed countries was different, some emphasized collective responsibility, some asked the United States for funding like Macron, and some spoke and spoke for developing countries. Muhasin, a reporter for Jordan's Charter newspaper, told the Global Times that developed countries are not monolithic, but there are huge differences and conflicts of interest, which makes them voice different voices. In this regard, Qatar's Al Jazeera also wrote that European countries and between Europe and the United States have different interests and contradictions, and it is inevitable that disputes and accusations will occur, and even mutual slander and attack each other.
Macron proposed to provide aid to poor countries, and Muhasin expressed concern that at present, Europe is experiencing an energy crisis and inflation crisis, and is overwhelmed by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and has no time to look around, "even if European countries have full pockets, I am afraid they must be used to stimulate the economy and other matters."
Although the United States was criticized by Macron, US President Joe Biden claimed at COP27 on November 11 that the United States is taking action. The Biden administration is changing Trump-era climate policy, hoping to restore U.S. leadership and credibility on climate issues through this climate conference. The Global Times reporter noted at the scene that Biden apologized for the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017 in his speech on the 11th. He stressed that his administration "is committed to restoring American leadership [on climate] to combat rising global temperatures." However, the United States has said it will not support the "loss and damage" fund that developing countries have been pushing for, suggesting that international assistance should be used for adaptation to climate change, not compensation. China and some European countries have expressed their willingness to contribute to such a fund.
The lip service of developed countries is so bad that even some Western media cannot stand it. "How far does the West want to play the fool?" Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung said that Western industrial countries have been watching the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase for decades, and even now that the climate crisis is so serious, the main responsible for global warming is still making a lot of money. In the second quarter of this year alone, the six largest oil and gas companies from Western countries such as the United States, Britain and France made a profit of $57.2 billion. A year ago, the United States and the European Union refused to engage in dialogue on compensation, fearing that they might be required to pay uncapped compensation. Now, under strong pressure, Western countries have to respond. The West must ask itself how far it intends to play the fool.
Some of the questions were clearly provocative
In addition to Biden, more than a dozen dignitaries such as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US National Security Adviser Sullivan also participated in COP27. The Chinese delegation was led by Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhao Yingmin. The US "Political News Network" said that at COP27, the Biden administration is doing its best to show that it is a global leader in climate action. US Special Envoy for Climate Kerry said on the 8th that he had a conversation with Chinese Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, but the two countries have not resumed formal negotiations. Xie Zhenhua also said at a press conference on the 9th that he had informal contacts with Kerry, emphasizing that China is always open to working together to promote the COP27 agenda at the annual global climate conference, "although the two countries have not resumed formal climate negotiations, we have conducted informal consultations for the success of COP27."
The Global Times reporter attended the press conference on the 9th, and the questions raised by reporters from Western countries at the meeting were full of provocation. Four or five Western media reporters, including the Associated Press, distorted the facts, claiming that "the United States said it has opened the door to climate negotiations, but China is unwilling to participate." In this regard, Xie Zhenhua said that China and the United States have a good and long-term history of cooperation in the field of climate change, and even in the complicated situation of Sino-US relations, communication in the field of climate change has never been interrupted. However, when the cooperation between the two sides was progressing very smoothly, Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, visited China's Taiwan region, seriously violating the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, damaging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and hurting the feelings of the Chinese people. China has announced the suspension of climate change talks, but the responsibility for the suspension lies in the United States. After the meeting, a Kenyan journalist told the Global Times that some Western journalists have bad intentions toward China. He praised Xie Zhenhua's reasoned rebuttal of Western journalists.
The US "Political News Network" published an article on the opening day of COP27, saying that at a time when relations between the United States and China continue to deteriorate, the United States is trying to stimulate and coax China on the issue of climate change. The "decoupling" of cooperation between the two countries could frustrate global action on climate change. Qatar's Al Jazeera commented that China and the United States, as two major countries, play a pivotal role in addressing climate change, and there is cooperation, competition and game between the two countries in this regard, and this complex relationship will continue, because climate negotiations are not only a matter of climate, but also a series of comprehensive factors such as geopolitics, economic interests and their respective national conditions.
Despite the unreasonable accusations of some Western countries, China has still made substantial efforts to address climate change with actions. Representatives from all walks of life in China actively participated in this year's conference and introduced environmental protection products and measures to delegates from all over the world, which was widely welcomed. On the 16th, the China Exhibition Center held a promotion meeting, exhibiting a series of products made of bamboo, and recommended that everyone use bamboo products instead of plastic. Xie Zhenhua said on the 15th that China has established a leading group for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, forming a more systematic and complete "1+N" policy system for carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and actively promoting low-carbon development and green transformation. By the end of June 2022, China's installed capacity of renewable energy power generation reached 1.12 billion kilowatts, and the cumulative installed capacity of hydropower, wind power and photovoltaic power generation was 400 million, 340 million and 340 million kilowatts respectively, ranking first in the world. The national forest coverage rate exceeds 24%, and the forest stock exceeds 19.5 billion cubic meters, making it the country with the largest increase in forest resources in the world; The number of new energy vehicles exceeds 10 million, accounting for more than half of the global total. "Practice has proved that China has embarked on a path of green, low-carbon and sustainable development that suits its national conditions, and has contributed to global climate governance with practical actions and outstanding results." Xie Zhenhua said. On the 6th, Qingdao West Coast New Area took Qingdao Port as an example to introduce how the district built Asia's first fully automated container terminal through technological innovation. The representative of the new district said that the entire pier does not need any lighting at night and is called "black light pier".
Source: Global Times