COP27: African nations may leave empty handed; Implementation COP hangs in the balance as negotiations struggle in the final hours

As delegates and organizations wait for the release of the latest version of the cover text, failure to secure agreement on several key issues and lack of transparency from the COP presidency makes a deal at COP27 look unlikely. 

Despite being a COP hosted in Africa, voices from across the region demanding a fund for Loss and Damage and fossil fuel phase-out, have been largely ignored by the Presidency. 

African nations came into this month’s COP27 international climate summit in Egypt with high hopes. They may yet leave empty handed. 

With the event taking place on the continent for the first time since 2016, it was dubbed the “implementation COP.”

But as the event draws to a close, little progress has been made in mapping out how rich nations will honor a promise to provide $100 billion in annual climate finance for developing nations. Neither has much ground been made on honoring a pledge to double funding for adapting to changing weather by 2025. 

“We are already in overtime at COP27 and our message is very clear – we cannot afford a bad deal. The world around us is on fire, we cannot delay implementing 1.5° C. 

“We still haven’t seen the latest text but in the draft, we saw yesterday COP27 is backsliding on commitments to phase out fossil fuels which is needed to keep 1.5°C alive. The fossil fuel lobby is shaping the deal here and we cannot afford this.’ 

“It is now up to the presidency to lead us in that direction and we call upon the Egyptian Presidency and the negotiating parties to put people’s health, our future and the planet ahead of fossil fuel company profits.”

A proposal that Africa’s “special needs and circumstances” be considered didn’t make it onto the agenda. And another to set up a facility to compensate poor nations hit by climate disasters hangs in the balance. 

Progress on that issue, included on the COP agenda for the first time, has been slowed by demands from Africa and other developing regions that a separate fund be created. That’s been resisted by the industrialized world, which is wary of a slew of demands and would rather existing facilities be used.

African delegates have been left frustrated. As Zita Wilks, a negotiator from Gabon, put it: “our priorities should be on the table first.” 

While there’s still time for a solution, there’s a sense that once again the continent has been passed over and bought off with promises that may never be fulfilled. 

“It’s a very sad ending,” Fred Onduri, a negotiator from Uganda, said of the failure to consider Africa’s situation separately. “We are behind in all aspects of development.”