What is COP27?

CLIMATE CHANGE

The 27th UN Climate Conference began on November 6 and has one main objective: to save the planet from the consequences of climate change

Since the Industrial Revolution at the start of the 19 th Century, greenhouse gas emission levels have been increasing every year. They warm the planet at place all living beings at risk.

Increased temperatures are linked to human activities. Each year, the United Nations holds the COP to bring together leaders and community representatives to make agreements to solve the problem.

The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995. This year, the 27th conference is happening in Egypt and includes representatives from 197 nations. “COP” stands for Conference of the Parties. The Parties involved, or member nations, meet to discuss a single topic: climate change.

The COP is like a large “planetary condominium meeting”: different nations must come to agreement about their goals and actions to reduce greenhouse gases

Developed nations emit more GHGs while less developed nations emit less

Even though the USA, China and Russia emit the most GHGs, they are not the nations that will necessarily feel the greatest impacts of climate change

For example, the Tuvalu archipelago in Oceania is already shrinking because of rising sea levels. Other developing nations are a also already feeling temperature changes every day.

COP27 therefore aims to achieve an agreement between nations, establish goals and present each one’s “ambitions” for braking and reducing the problem

Our nation ranks among the top ten GHG producers because of high deforestation rates. This is different from wealthier nations that produce GHGs because of energy consumption, but there are still high levels of carbon released.

Where does Brazil stand in all of this?

This is why poorer nations uphold the “losses and damages” concept: those most responsible for climate changes should make financing available to help those already feeling the impacts of climate change but who have neither the resources nor are they to blame for the problem.

It is a polemic topic. At the end of the day, no one wants to assume responsibility for the problem, especially not the developed nations. This is why a minimally just accord is one of the expectations for COP27. Over the next few days, new decisions may be made on the topic.

TEXT Carolina Dantas PHOTOS UNFCCC, Tuvalu government, Tim Aubry and Alan Hindle/Greenpeace and the film “Modern Times”. VISUAL IDENTITY Clara Borges Montage Luiza Toledo