The hope for Cop27 – The National

The hope for Cop27 – The National

The climate summit in Egypt, Cop27, will be the focus of much of the world's attention in the coming fortnight. Global leaders and delegates will gather at the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh to address an extensive agenda that is urgent and complex, affecting countries and people in all four hemispheres.

Just last week UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres once again urged wealthy and poor nations “to close the ambition gap, the credibility gap and the solidarity gap” when they convened at the event in Egypt.

Given the rising global temperatures and the clear warnings from scientists, there can be no disagreement with Mr Gueterres's point. In today's world, however, the challenges facing even rich countries are daunting. Balancing already stretched budgets – due to the pandemic's toll on global health systems, and the war in Ukraine causing an energy crisis in Europe – not all countries will find climate goals easy to accomplish. Sticking to net-zero commitments in fraught geopolitical scenarios is that much tougher, despite the urgency of the challenge, very much at the centre of discussions this coming week.