22:00 The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela, Gustavo Petro and Nicolas Maduro, launched a call Tuesday at the COP27 climate summit for a wide-ranging alliance to protect the Amazon, the planet's biggest tropical forest.
"We are determined to revitalise the Amazon rainforest... (in order) to offer humanity a significant victory in the battle against climate change," Petro said at the UN summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
"If we, in the South Americas, carry a responsibility, it is to stop the destruction of the Amazon and put in place a coordinated process of recovery," Maduro said, speaking alongside Petro and the president of Suriname, Chan Santokhi.
21:30 The Roundtable on ‘Climate Change and the Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities’ discussed strengthening local responses to growing climate change impacts, strengthening crisis preparedness and disaster risk reduction and bolstering community level resilience.
21:00 Egypt signs over 20 climate partnership agreements with a number of financing entities – including the European Development Bank, the French Development Agency, and the World Bank – to support green initiatives involved in the country's NWFE platform.
NWFE – translated in English as “fulfilling pledges” – was launched to finance eco-friendly and green projects as part of the country's National Climate Change Strategy 2050, with a view to attracting foreign investments to Egypt’s green transformation plan.
The platform presents projects in water, food and energy.
21:00 Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High Level Champion for Egypt, described the financing for climate action as inefficient, unfair, and insufficient, explaining that even if the Copenhagen pledge of an annual $100 billion is fulfilled, it would represent no more than 3 percent of the financing needed for climate action.
During ‘Global Climate Action - Making Good on Promises,’ Mohieldin said the financing is “inefficient because negotiations between developing countries and financing entities take too long, unfair because developing countries have to pay the bill for a crisis they didn't create, and insufficient because most developed countries have not fulfilled their pledges to finance climate action in developing countries.”
20:40 The Roundtable on ‘Water Security’ focused on harnessing water security action into the global climate agenda.
20:00 Companies pledging to get their emissions down to net zero better make sure they've got a credible plan and aren't just making false promises, UN experts said in a report Tuesday urging tough standards on emissions cutting vows.
19:20 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there is “no effective climate policy without peace.”
In a video message played at COP27, Zelensky said the war against Ukraine has led to a return of coal use, stressing that “the sound of cannons must be stopped to preserve the climate.”
"The war against Ukraine has caused the destruction of 5 million acres of forest," he added.
He also praised the speech Egyptian President El-Sisi delivered on Monday, where he urged meeting the aspiration of the nations of the world in terms of climate action.
18:30 A group of NGOs participating in COP27 held a vigil in front of the Green Zone in Sharm El-Sheikh to demand swift action to save the planet and stop carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.
The participants called for maintaining the average increase of the global temperature at under 1.5 degrees, in addition to calculating the losses and damages incurred by developing countries due to the adverse consequences of climate change.
18:00 UNFPA Egypt representative Frederika Meijer visited the government tent in the Green Zone.
17:40 Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister and president of COP27, announced the launch of the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, which involves the participation of UN high-level climate change champions.
The agenda includes a host of solutions that can be adopted at the local and international levels to adapt to climate change.
17:20 "The green hydrogen production plant in the Suez Canal Economic Zone will enable us to easily export to Europe and other continents," President El-Sisi said after the launch of the project.
17:00 In a roundtable co-chaired by Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President of Senegal Macky Sall, and facilitated by Global Head of Climate Partnerships at Boston Consulting Group Michel Frédeau, the parties discussed a range of issues related to reinforcing water security, including through shared experiences and international cooperation initiatives.
16:00 Egypt's President El-Sisi met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday on the sidelines of the conference, during which they discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern as well as the two countries' joint efforts to enhance climate action on the global level.
El-Sisi said Egypt looks forward to increasing German contributions to Egyptian development in all fields by boosting investments in Egypt, especially in industry localisation, energy, tourism and technical education.
15:40 A roundtable was held under the title 'Climate Change and the Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities'.
Participants in the roundtable included Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, and Managing Director of the Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum Gim Huay Neo.
The roundtable examined strengthening local responses to growing adverse climate change impacts, particularly scaling up durable solutions via anticipation, early action and adaptation.
14:30 The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) released $5.5 million as a new tranche financing to TAQA PV for Solar Energy - TAQA Arabia’s renewable energy subsidiary - under its existing facility for green private-to-private projects, the bank announced on the sidelines ofthe COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday.
14:10 The UNICEF warns this year has brought overwhelming flooding to at least 27.7 million children in 27 countries worldwide.
In a press release by the UN Press Office on Tuesday, the UNICEF called on all parties at the COP27 to:
PREVENT. Revisit their national climate plans to cut emissions drastically and urgently to prevent a climate catastrophe.
PROTECT. Secure clear action on adaptation that protects every child from the accelerating impacts of climate change through the Global Stocktake and Global Goal on Adaptation
PREPARE. Advance climate change education and meaningful participation to prepare children and youth through the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Action Plan
PRIORITIZE. children and youth by accelerating climate finance investment in climate-resilient social services that reach the most at-risk children, and unlock progress on loss and damage
A UNICEF reporter comes to the rescue of two children hit by floods in N'Djaména, Chad. Photo courtesy of UNICEF
13:40 Egyptian President El-Sisi announced that he will launch, along with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, the first phase of an Egyptian-Norwegian project to establish a 100 MW green hydrogen plant in Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea.
13:30 Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that alternative sources of energy are required to replace fossil fuels in order for Europe to continue its industrial activities,
"We need to work on achieving progress in the field of green hydrogen through teamwork and unifying efforts, exchanging experiences and engaging the private sector," he stressed.
13:15 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said green hydrogen is the key to decarbonise the world’s economies, especially for hard-to-electrify sectors such as steel production, the chemical industry, heavy shipping and aviation.
12:45 "Green hydrogen has become one of the most important solutions on the way toward green economy during the coming years," Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said during a roundtable on "Investing in the Future of Energy: Green Hydrogen".
El-Sisi unveiled a new Egyptian-Belgian green hydrogen initiative to establish a permanent platform for dialogue between hydrogen-producing and hydrogen-consuming countries as well as the private sector, organisations and financial institutions operating in this field.
The roundtable is co-chaired by the Egyptian president and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
12:15 The United Arab Emirates and Egypt agreed Tuesday to develop one of the world's largest wind farms in a deal struck on the sidelines of the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The 10-gigawatt (GW) onshore wind project in Egypt will produce 47,790 GWh of clean energy annually once it is completed, the UAE's state news agency WAM said in a statement.
It will offset 23.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions - equivalent to around nine percent of Egypt's current CO2 output, according to WAM.
Egyptian President Sisi and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan look on as officials sign the deal on Tuesday. Courtesy of Sheikh bin Zayed official Twitter account
12:00 Developing and emerging countries -- excluding China -- need investments well beyond $2 trillion annually by 2030 if the world is to stop the global warming juggernaut and cope with its impacts, according to an UN-backed report released Tuesday.
A trillion dollars should come from rich countries, investors and multilateral development banks, said the analysis commissioned by Britain and Egypt, hosts respectively of the COP26 in Glasgow and COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
11:40 In her speech during the Heads of State Summit for the launch of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI), the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stressed that “The East Mediterranean region is facing several challenges and they are all interdependent and interconnected: climate change, water scarcity, land degradation and urbanisation."
"This makes the region’s ability to eliminate hunger and malnutrition very challenging."
"To solve these challenges will require transformative change supported by partnership along with affirmative action and policies,” she added.
11:35 Janet Rogan, the COP26 Regional Ambassador for the Middle East and Africa, said “It is important to focus efforts on facing the challenges of climate change. There must be harmony between nature, climate, environment and security because climate change puts pressure on some countries; there must be mechanisms to international cooperation on all levels from the highest to the local level."
11:30 “As you know, such huge challenges of climate change requires a collective response and we must form task forces at the regional and global level,” noted Oľga Algayerová, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe.
11:20 Israeli Minister of Environmental Protection Tamar Zandberg hailed the scientific and policy-making sides of the EMME-CCI initiative, saying the only way to face climate change in the region is to do so together by sharing solutions.
She added that Israel has taken serious steps regarding climate action, including improving adaptation and resilience efforts as well as ensuring a better ecosystem for climate balance.
11:10 Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh addressed water security as part of efforts to tackle climate change in the East Mediterranean region.
Palestinians consume around 72 litres per person daily while the internationally suggested amount is 120 litres, Shtayyeh said, adding that Israelis consume 450 litres per person daily.
11:00 Jordan is taking the lead to launch an initiative for all countries of the region to combat climate change related challenges, Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh said, affirming his country's commitment to reaching comprehensive solutions and ensuring green development.
10:55 In his speech at the EMME-CCI summit, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis affirmed the importance of regional energy cooperation.
Mitsotakis added that he discussed with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi projects to ensure high-efficiency energy transfer to meet the needs of the region and also export to the European market.
10:45 During the Heads of State Summit for the launch of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI), President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt was keen on joining the initiative since its inception in 2019 based on the belief in its vital role.
El-Sisi stressed that voluntary initiatives to mobilise support for efforts combating climate change have turned to be among the most important mechanisms for global climate action.
10:30 Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said Cyprus is committed to curbing climate change, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation to reduce harmful emissions through the formation of joint work teams between countries.
10:10 Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi presides over the Heads of State Summit for the launch of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI).
09:45 The Executive Action Plan for the Early Warnings for All initiative, announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday, calls for initial new targeted investments worth $3.1 billion between 2023 and 2027, said the UN.
09:30 World leaders are making the case for tougher action to tackle global warming Tuesday, as this year's international climate talks in Egypt heard growing calls for fossil fuel companies to help pay for the damage they have helped cause to the planet.
The U.S. mid-term elections were hanging over the talks Tuesday, with many environmental campaigners worried that defeat for the Democrats could make it harder for President Joe Biden to pursue his ambitious climate agenda.
A member of the Dutch delegation rides on a bicycle to the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. AP
Day 3, 8 November
10:00-13:00 Mandated events and workshops-First part of the HLS, Presidency Events-Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit.
13:00-15:00 Lunch
13:00-18:00 Mandated events and workshops-LCIPP Annual Youth Round Table Part I: Exchange amongst Indigenous youth and youth from local communities,
13:00-14:30 Other high-level events-Adaptation event: findings relevant to assessing adaptation needs (WGII)
13:00-15:30 Other high-level events-GST Technical Dialogue Poster Launch session tbc
15:00-18:00 Mandated events and workshops- First part of the HLS, LCIPP Annual Youth Round Table Part I: Exchange amongst Indigenous youth and youth from local communities
16:00-19:00 Presidency Events GST Technical Dialogue World Café
18:00-20:00 Other high-level events -SBI-SBSTA special event on the gender-related aspects of IPCC AR6 (WGII and WGIII)
Relive:
COP27, Day 1: Loss and damage funding introduced as an agenda item (Click here).
COP27, Day 2: Sisi urges world leaders to move to concrete action on climate (Click here).
Short link: