Ukraine war cannot provide ‘pretext for backsliding’ at COP27, host Egypt urges

Ukraine war cannot provide ‘pretext for backsliding’ at COP27, host Egypt urges

The energy and food crises fuelled by the war in Ukraine are an unacceptable "pretext for backsliding" at the United Nations COP27 climate talks, host nation Egypt has warned.

With just over a month until the next yearly summit, ambassador Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt's COP27 special representative, acknowledged the "complicating factors" that could hinder this year's talks.

In a thinly veiled message to those involved in the war, Mr Aboulmagd urged countries to "put political differences aside" at the talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, and "expedite" rather than slow down the transition to green power.