“Historical” but “insufficient”: reactions to the COP27 agreement

The climate summit of the UN COP27celebrated in Egyptwas praised on Sunday for setting up a “loss and damage” fund to help vulnerable countries cope with the destructive impacts of the global warming.

However, there was also criticism of a lack of ambition in reducing emissions to keep alive the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

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Here are some of the reactions.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

“This COP has taken an important step towards justice. I welcome the decision to establish a fund for loss and damage”.

“Clearly, this will not be enough (…). To have any hope of sustaining 1.5, we need to invest massively in renewable energy and kick our addiction to fossil fuels.”.

Egyptian Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shukri

“Friends, we have heard the call and we have responded. Today, here in Sharm el Sheikh, we have created the first dedicated loss and damage fund, a fund that has been in the making for a long time.”.

“Millions of people around the world can now feel a glimmer of hope that their suffering will finally be properly addressed.”.

Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans

“The world is watching us, and it will not forgive us if we again fail to prevent the worst.”.

“What we have before us is not enough. Does not provide the added efforts needed for major emitters to step up and accelerate their emissions cuts”.

Sherry Rehman, Pakistani Minister of Climate Change and Chair of the powerful G77+China group

“We have been fighting for 30 years and today, in Sharm el Sheikh, that epic has given its first positive result. The creation of a fund is not a matter of charity. It is clearly a down payment on a long-term investment in our common future and an investment in climate justice.”.

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Molwyn Joseph, Minister of the Environment of Antigua and Barbuda, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis)

“Aosis had promised the world that he would not leave Sharm el Sheikh without establishing a loss and damage response fund. That 30-year mission has already been accomplished”.

Maldivian Environment Minister Aminath Shauna

“I want to continue living in the Maldives. I also want my two year old daughter to grow up in the Maldives”.

“We are only one meter above sea level. Every fraction of a degree of increase in temperature and every millimeter of rise in sea level threaten our existence.”.

“We have made it clear over the past two weeks that the mitigation ambition (reducing emissions) was a cornerstone of our results here at COP27. I’m disheartened because we haven’t made it”.

Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute

“In a historic breakthrough, wealthy nations have finally agreed to create a fund to help vulnerable countries reeling from devastating climate damage.”.

“This loss and damage fund will be a lifeline for poor families whose homes are destroyed, farmers whose fields are blighted, and islanders forced from their ancestral homes.”.

Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister

“It is beyond frustrating to see long overdue mitigation and phase out of fossil fuels being blocked by some big emitters and oil producers.”.

“The world is wasting valuable time moving towards 1.5°C”.

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Agnès Pannier-Runacher, French Minister of Energy Transition

“No progress was made on the need for greater efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and move away from fossil fuels. It’s a real disappointment”.

This summit, howeverresponds to the expectations of the most vulnerable countries with a breakthrough: the creation of new financing tools for losses and damages linked to climate catastrophes”.

Gabriela Bucher, Director General of Oxfam International

“While we welcome the creation of the loss and damage fund, we remain deeply concerned about the inability of countries to agree to an urgent and fair phase-out of all fossil fuels.”.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.