World in crisis provides grim backdrop for Cop27 UN climate talks in Egypt

Attendees of the Cop27 UN Climate Summit arrive in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (Peter Dejong/AP)

Envoys from around the globe have gathered in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for talks on tackling climate change that come as the world also grapples with multiple crises, including the war in Ukraine, high inflation, food shortages and an energy crunch.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned last week that the planet was heading towards irreversible “climate chaos” unless countries find a way to put the world back on track to cut emissions and help poor countries cope with the impacts of global warming.

More than 40,000 participants have been registered for this year’s talks, reflecting the sense of urgency as major weather events around the world impact many people and cost billions of dollars in repairs.

Egypt said more than 120 world leaders will attend, many of them speaking at a high-level event on November 7-8, while US President Joe Biden was expected to arrive later in the week.

A delegate from the Cook Islands attends an opening session at the Cop27 UN Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (Peter Dejong/AP)

But many top figures including China’s President Xi Jinping and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi were not planning to come, casting doubt on whether the talks in Egypt could result in any major deals to cut emissions without two of the world’s biggest polluters.

Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said the talks were being overshadowed by Russia’s attack on Ukraine that has triggered political and economic upheaval around the world.

“But 2022 must not become a lost year for climate protection,” she said in a statement.

“For many states, it’s about the survival of their population and their culture. For them, the climate crisis remains the most important security issue, not Russia’s war in Europe.”

Ms Baerbock said Germany was willing to show solidarity with poor countries, including on the thorny issue of compensation for losses resulting from climate change caused by rich countries’ emissions.

Rights groups criticised Egypt on Sunday for restricting protests and stepping up surveillance during the summit.

New York-based Human Rights Watch, citing Egyptian media, said authorities had also arrested dozens of people for calling for protests.

People look at a map after arriving at the Cop27 summit (Peter Dejong/AP)

“It is becoming clear that Egypt’s government has no intention of easing its abusive security measures and allowing for free speech and assembly,” Adam Coogle, the group’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

Human Rights Watch said it had joined about 1,400 groups from around the world urging Egypt to lift the restrictions on civil society groups.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a prominent imprisoned pro-democracy activist, escalated his hunger strike on Sunday on the first day of Cop27, according to his family.

Mr Abdel-Fattah’s aunt, award-winning novelist Ahdaf Soueif, said he went into a “full hunger strike”, and stopped drinking water at 10am local time.

Concerned that he could die without water, she was calling for authorities to release him in response to local and international calls.

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