100 World leaders to attend COP27

Over 100 Heads of State and Government have confirmed their participation in this year’s United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP27) in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh.

The political authorities, power blocs, climate experts, negotiators, as well as key stakeholders, will be at the global table with cards that experts in the climate space believe could be a make or break in the fight against the climate crisis.

A high-powered delegation from Ghana will be among over 45,000 delegates across the world that will converge on the Egyptian city, located on the southeastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula, for the conference.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, and the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, are leading the government delegation, which comprise chief executive officers (CEOs) of related state agencies, experts in the climate change space and policy makers.

The Ghanaian delegation will meet participants from various countries (parties), the UN, regional organisations, businesses, the scientific community, indigenous and local communities and civil society organisations (CSOs) in search of workable solutions to the global climate crisis.

COP27 ground set

Ahead of the global gathering on Monday, the COP27 President, Sameh Shoukry, has given the assurance that Egypt was ready to host “the Implementation of COP”.

In a statement issued last Wednesday, Mr Shoukry explained that the Sharm El-Sheikh International Convention Centre (SHICC) had been designated the blue zone for COP27, where all negotiations among delegates set to take place.

He added that a 22,500-square-metre green zone had been carved out as the place where the business community, the youth, CSOs, academia and artists from all over the world would pitch camp.

“The space is targeted at promoting inclusive dialogue and engagement among climate actors through events, exhibitions, workshops, cultural performances and talks,” he said.

Per the schedule, the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit will take place on November 7 and 8, bringing together all participating Heads of State and Government.

Mr Shoukry explained that the COP27 Presidency had launched initiatives such as the COP27 Presidency Sustainable Urban Resilience for the next Generation (SURGe), the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN) and Action on Water, Adaptation and Resilience (AWARe) to be carried out at the conference.

“The others are the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation Initiative (FAST), the Global Waste Initiative 50 by 2050, the Africa Just and Affordable Energy Transition Initiative, the Decent Life Initiative for a Climate Resilient Africa, Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CRSP), African Women’s Climate Adaptive Priorities (CAP), Friends of Greening National Investment Plans and Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for Climate Transformation (ENACT),” he said.

Thematic areas

Roundtable will also be held, focusing on six key topics — just transitions, food security, innovative finance for climate and development, investing in the future of energy, water security and climate change and the