Sharm El-Sheikh: The most awaited climate summit COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, hosted by Egypt in Sharm El Sheikh will begin today, with an estimated 40,000 attendees, including heads of state.
The summit is expected to host one of the largest number of participants in the annual global climate conference, which is running from November 6 to 18 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Diverse representation will include around 100 heads of states and governments, and tens of thousands of delegates, civil society, media and all other relevant stakeholders.
Speaking ahead of the conference, Ambassador Wael Aboulmagd, Special Representative to the COP27 President said “The Egyptian Presidency team has worked tirelessly to create an enabling environment that is conducive to successful negotiations.
“As the hosts of the COP, we are keen on bringing representative of nations and stakeholders from across the world and to provide the required momentum to address the required actions for urgent and at-scale implementation of climate commitments and pledges” he said.
The Sharm El-Sheikh International Convention Center (SHICC) will form the overall Blue Zone for COP27.
The Blue Zone is where all negotiations amongst delegates are set to take place. In addition, a long list of dynamic events will be organized by Governments and accredited observers including youth advocates and scientists.
According to the official statement, a 22,500 square meter Green Zone is where the business community, youth, civil society, academia, and artists from all over the world will have an additional space to be present and participate.
It aims to promote inclusive and dynamic dialogue and engagement among climate actors via events, exhibitions, workshops, cultural performances, and talks.
The Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit will take place November 7-8, bringing all participating heads of state and government.
Following the summit’s inauguration, several roundtables will be held to focus on six key topics, Food Security, Innovative Finance for Climate and Development, Investing in the Future of Energy, Water Security, and Climate Change and The Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities.
On the sidelines of the global negotiations set to take place in Egypt during the conference, the COP27 Egyptian Presidency has also designated several key thematic days that will include panel pledging opportunities, discussions, roundtables, and side events.
These thematic days are a part of efforts to advance climate action that can address existing implementation bottlenecks and gaps, and deepen engagement with youth, women, civil society, and indigenous people, among others, at the center of the discussions.
The Key focus areas include the promise of innovation and clean technologies as well as the centrality of water and agriculture to the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, energy transition, decarbonization efforts and finance.
Three days will be dedicated to youth and future generations, gender and civil society, their contributions, the challenges they face, the solutions they offer, and how to mainstream their engagement in planning and implementation of climate policies.
Egypt’s Presidency of COP27 has launched several initiatives that will take place at the conference.
These initiatives include COP27 Presidency Sustainable Urban Resilience for the next Generation (SURGE), Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN), Action on Water, Adaptation and Resilience (AWARe), Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation Initiative (Fast), Global Waste Initiative 50 by 2050 and many others.
