UNFCCC’s Stiell highlights three critical lines of action for COP27

06 / 11 / 2022

• Egypt
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United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell underlined three critical lines of action for the 27^th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) Which opened in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of Sharm el Sheilkh earlier Sunday.

The three lines of action include demonstrating a transformation shift to implementation by putting negotiations into concrete actions in addition to cementing progress on the critical workstreams – mitigation, adaptation, finance and crucially – loss and damage and, finally, enhancing the delivery of the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the process.

“I welcome detailed plans on how we deliver what we have promised”, he told delegates.

Stiell, dubbing himself an “accountability chief”, stated that 29 countries have now come forward with tightened national climate plans since COP26, five more since the publication of last week’s UNFCCC NDC Synthesis report, but still not a majority.

“So here I am now, looking out at 170 countries that are due to be revisiting and strengthening their national pledges this year,” he said.

He reminded delegates that last year the Glasgow Climate Pact was agreed at COP26, and he expected them not to rescind their word.

 “Today a new era begins – and we begin to do things differently. Paris gave us the agreement. Katowice and Glasgow gave us the plan. Sharm el Sheikh shifts us to implementation. No one can be a mere passenger on this journey. This is the signal that times have changed,” Stiell told delegates gathered in the main plenary room of the Tonino Lamborghini International Convention Center.

“Because our policies, our businesses, our infrastructure, our actions, be they personal or public, must be aligned with the Paris Agreement and with the [UN Climate] Convention”, he underscored.

“Stick to your commitments. Build on them here in Egypt,” he said.