Macron: We will not sacrifice climate targets because of the Ukraine war
Damian Carrington
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, gives a detailed speech to Cop27 – no three-minute time limit for him, it seems, though he apologises at the end.
It will largely be welcomed by developing nations and he begins by saying many states are being affected by the unravelling of the climate. He says we will not sacrifice our climate commitments to the energy crisis caused by the aggression of Russia in Ukraine. He talks of the need for “energy sobriety”, to transition away from fossil fuels.
On climate justice, Macron says confidence between global north and south is frittering away: “We must come to terms with the idea of financial solidarity.” That means rich, polluting nations handing over money to poorer, vulnerable nations.
Macron also called for financial solidarity over the climate crisis Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Guardian reported earlier today that France had already delivered more than its “fair share” of climate finance, whilst the US and Australia had not. Macron also backs calls for major reform of the World Bank and IMF to deliver much more climate funding, from Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados and others.
Wavel Ramkalawan, president of the island-nation of the Seychelles, says: “Our contribution is minimal, but we suffer the most.” Our mangroves soak up more than the emissions of the Seychelles, making us a zero contributor to the destruction of the planet, but our islands are disappearing, he says.
Finance is again the highest priority for this leader. He says nations like Seychelles need the concessional funds to fight climate change. Many developing nations are already heavily indebted and cannot support further high-interest loans. Seychelles has swapped some debt in return for establishing huge ocean protection parks, in a world-first deal in 2018.
Cop27: the climate carnage we’ve faced this year – video
Patrick Greenfield
Barbadian prime minister Mia Mottley has said there needs to be a transfer of climate technology to the global south to help countries meet net zero commitments.
Speaking at an event hosted at the Scottish pavilion with Nicola Sturgeon, the economist Mariana Mazzucato and WTO head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mottley said Barbados wanted to partner with Scotland and other countries to harness their “technical expertise” to turn the north Atlantic trade winds into energy. She said other countries in the global south must be empowered to do so.
“We are the most easterly island in the Caribbean. We believe we can produce green hydrogen and there’s no cap on the export of this resource,” she said.
“We need to have an industrial plan that allows for greater production of goods within the global south. We are not going to get access to many of the goods in order to make the transition to next zero.
“I give you the example of Covid: we could not access vaccines. We could not access ventilators. Even when we bought ventilators, the United States of America used rules to prevent their export to us. This is our reality.
“And yet we say that if we have access to technology, if we have access to capital, if we follow a proper industrial plan, we can start making provision for manufacturing electric cars and so we don’t have to depend on exports from North America and Europe. We can start making photovoltaic panels, we can start making batteries. And often what is needed to make this is already located and extracted in the global south and sent to the north. And then we have to be at the mercy of those who want to export to us.”
Damian Carrington
More from the world leaders – who are discussing the horrendous impacts climate breakdown is already having on food and water supply.
William Ruto, the president of Kenya and chair of the Africa group of nations at Cop27, lays bare the impact of the climate crisis on Africa – a “living nightmare”. The horn of Africa is suffering the worst drought in 40 years, he says, inflicting misery on millions and the deaths of 1.5 million livestock animals. Due to drought many children have dropped out of school, he says, and carcasses of elephants litter our wildlife parks.
“Stalling and delaying tactics are simply cruel and unjust,” he warns delegates. “Further delay will make us spectators as we wipe out lives and livelihoods.” In contrast, Africa could, given the right financial support, roll out green energy and sustainable farming to help beat global heating. He also says Kenya will grow $15bn trees.
Low-lying island states face simply disappearing beneath the fast-rising oceans and Taneti Maamau, president of Kiribati, says it has been 30 years since the first UN climate treaty was signed and, despite the science, some countries are still blocking action. The nation this year declared a state of emergency due to severe lack of fresh water, as ocean waves washed over their land.
Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, the president of Mozambique, makes a serious speech. But he also thanks Egypt for the excellent facilities at Cop27. He obviously hasn’t had to go out himself in search of one of the very scarce and expensive sandwiches.
While world leaders convened to discuss the habitable future of the planet, Rishi Sunak found time to discuss the issue of asylum seekers reaching England’s shores from across the Channel.
The UK prime minister said there was “lots” to talk about when he met Macron, including the issue of Channel migrants. He also had a conversation about it when he met the new Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.
He told broadcasters:
It was great to meet President Macron to talk about not just tackling illegal migration but the range of other areas in which we want to cooperate closely with the French on.
But also let’s remember, this is an issue that affects many countries. And actually I’ve been talking to other European leaders as well about our shared challenge of tackling illegal migration.
By working together with our European partners, we can make a difference, grip this challenge of illegal migration and stop people coming illegally.
Rishi Sunak meets Giorgia Meloni, prime minister of Italy. Photograph: Getty ImagesMacron: We will not sacrifice climate targets because of the Ukraine war
Damian Carrington
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, gives a detailed speech to Cop27 – no three-minute time limit for him, it seems, though he apologises at the end.
It will largely be welcomed by developing nations and he begins by saying many states are being affected by the unravelling of the climate. He says we will not sacrifice our climate commitments to the energy crisis caused by the aggression of Russia in Ukraine. He talks of the need for “energy sobriety”, to transition away from fossil fuels.
On climate justice, Macron says confidence between global north and south is frittering away: “We must come to terms with the idea of financial solidarity.” That means rich, polluting nations handing over money to poorer, vulnerable nations.
Macron also called for financial solidarity over the climate crisis Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Guardian reported earlier today that France had already delivered more than its “fair share” of climate finance, whilst the US and Australia had not. Macron also backs calls for major reform of the World Bank and IMF to deliver much more climate funding, from Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados and others.
Wavel Ramkalawan, president of the island-nation of the Seychelles, says: “Our contribution is minimal, but we suffer the most.” Our mangroves soak up more than the emissions of the Seychelles, making us a zero contributor to the destruction of the planet, but our islands are disappearing, he says.
Finance is again the highest priority for this leader. He says nations like Seychelles need the concessional funds to fight climate change. Many developing nations are already heavily indebted and cannot support further high-interest loans. Seychelles has swapped some debt in return for establishing huge ocean protection parks, in a world-first deal in 2018.
The UK prime minister’s first speech at Cop27 was about forests and biodiversity. PA has the report:
Rishi Sunak has said the launch of a new partnership to conserve the world’s forests at Cop27 marked a “moment of great hope”.
The prime minister was addressing a forest and climate leaders’ event at the UN gathering in Egypt aimed at building on the commitment made by over 140 countries at last year’s Cop26 summit in Glasgow to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation.
Sunak said the partnership “is going to make nature and protecting nature a permanent feature of these Cop meetings and ensure that historical Glasgow promise is delivered.
“This is a moment of great hope for the world’s forests.
“So let’s build on what we have achieved and together let’s secure this wondrous legacy for our children and many generations to come.”
Damian Carrington
And back in the main hall, we’ve had some more speeches.
Water, or the lack of it, is top of mind for the king of Jordan, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. He tells Cop27 average rainfall in his arid country has fallen by half in 50 years.
“Destructive climate change does not have to define our future – the opportunities are immense if we grasp them,” he says, with the nation aiming to hit 50% renewable power by 2030. “In the fight for life on earth, no one is a bystander.”
Ali Bongo Ondimba, president of the forest-rich country of Gabon, addresses finance, which is the critical issue at Cop27. He notes it is 13 years since rich nations promised $100bn a year, from 2020, but this has yet to be delivered. It is high time that changes, he says. Ondimba also says the forests of Gabon are absorbing huge amounts of carbon emissions and says these should be commercialised as carbon credits.
Rishi Sunak, David Attenborough and the king make an appearance!Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, is currently hosting a forest event. Though I was told earlier by the palace that King Charles would not be appearing “in any shape or form at Cop27”, the monarch has in fact shown up – in a pre-recorded video. The event started with a film about the importance of trees narrated by David Attenborough and featuring clips of the king and Joe Biden. Alok Sharma, the president of Cop26, looked absorbed on his phone in his second row seat. My colleague Fiona Harvey caught the scene on camera.
Rishi Sunak at a forest event at Cop27. Photograph: Fiona Harvey/The GuardianEmmanuel Macron, the French president, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have had what looks like a rather jovial meeting on the sidelines of Cop.
Emmanuel Macron meets Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the Cop27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Photograph: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Damian Carrington
The more than 100 world leaders at Cop27 have begun making statements. We can expect Rishi Sunak later on. Stay tuned for what representatives from each country have to say.
They were preceded by the UN’s chief climate official, Simon Stiell, who implored them to act fast. Time is short to prevent the terrible dangers of runaway climate change, he said. “As soon as you touch down at home, send an email to your cabinet asking: ‘How are we strengthening our climate plans this year?’”
Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of the Republic of the Congo, is first up. Cop27 must be a Cop for action, he says. After so many promises unkept the time has come to move to tangible acts, he says – at stake is our credibility and the crucial survival of humanity.
Sassou Nguesso says preserving the huge forests in Congo is vital and adds that for 40 years everyone in Congo has been urged to plant a tree every year on 6 November, the day Cop27 began.
Pakistani envoy pushes for climate justiceNina Lakhani
After a weekend of back and forth between the polluting industrialised countries most responsible for global heating and the developing countries most affected by their fossil fuel addiction, loss and damage is on the Cop agenda for the first time. Pushing hard for this was Pakistani envoy Nabeel Munir, chief negotiator for the G77 plus China negotiating block, and it’s one of the principle demands for almost all developing and climate vulnerable nations.
“This is the beginning of what will be a slow and painful process, for developed and developing countries, and it wasn’t easy to get it on the agenda, but it’s there and it’s a beginning, and we wanted that to happen at a Cop hosted by a developing country,” said Munir. “It’s a big achievement that the other side is beginning to accept that what we’re saying is fair. Loss and damage is not charity, it’s climate justice.”
It will come way too late to help Pakistan rebuild after a catastrophic climate year that included drought and extreme heat events followed by unprecedented heavy rains that led to a third of the country under water. “Pakistan is a resilient country, we of course want and expect help from developing countries, but realistically we know that this won’t come from loss and damage, that fund is for the future when climate disasters hit Pakistan and other countries.
Participants at Cop27 Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesSome island nations have been pushing for loss and damage funding for 30 years, and face being wiped out by rising sea levels, yet there’s no timeline on when – or if – a loss and damage funding mechanism will be established. “It’s hard to say what an acceptable timeline is, but we must have something clear and tangible on loss and damage for Cop27 to be a success … and a final decision by Cop29 (2024) at the latest. And a recommitment from developed countries to fulfil the commitments they’ve made on climate finance.
The 2015 Paris agreement by wealthy countries to provide $100bn annually in climate finance for adaptation and mitigation for poorer nationals by 2020 has not been met, which Munir says is “technically a default” – even though no single country had agreed a particular amount. Apart from the UK, which has come under particular criticism for failing to deliver the full $300m to the e Green Climate Fund (GCF) by its September deadline. “Britain was unable to come up with that money, so that’s clearly a default,” said Munir.
Patrick Greenfield
UN secretary general, António Guterres, has said the international community has a duty to provide more support to Pakistan after flooding devastated the country in July and August, likely made worse by the climate crisis.
Speaking at a joint event in Pakistan’s pavilion along side the country’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, – the words “What goes on in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan” behind them – Guterres said countries had “a duty to massively support Pakistan in this moment”.
“There are moments in our life that are unforgettable and that mark you deeply. My last visit to Pakistan was one of these moments. To see an area flooded that is three times the size of my country Portugal, to see the loss of life, the loss of crops, livelihoods, to see the dramatic impact in the lives of people all over the country … And at the same time, to see the courage and resilience and generosity of the Pakistani people [stuck with me].
The impacts of climate change are here now, and the loss & damage they cause can no longer be ignored.#COP27 must agree on a clear, time-bound roadmap reflective of the scale and urgency of the challenge.
It’s a moral imperative and a question of solidarity & climate justice pic.twitter.com/YEJXFd7QFF
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 7, 2022 “Women and men, that have decided to leave their property, their essence, to go and rescue other people in the neighbourhood instead of protecting their own… These examples of generosity are examples that should be imitated by the international community,” he said.
Sharif said that the world must “not let helplessness become a death sentence in this race against time. What goes on in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan. Let’s stand up and say no to this before it’s too late.”.
He added:
Huge lakes of stagnant water have transformed the landscape of the south of Pakistan, where crops would have fed millions and livestock would have saved families from destitution. We are picking up the pieces as we speak.
The latest estimates have calculated the loss and damage at $30bn. Our journey to recovery will be held back by increasing public debt, rising global energy prices and no real access to adaptation finance.
We have mobilised every available resource.
At the broader level, we see to add loss and damage to the climate agenda. We hope that all countries come to Cop27 in the spirit [addressing Guterres] you champion of climate justice for all.
“There are moments in our life that are unforgettable and that mark you deeply. My last visit to Pakistan was one of these moments.” – @antonioguterres speaks about the flooding in Pakistan that killed more than 1700 people this summer, made worse by the climate crisis. #cop27 pic.twitter.com/aZRo8hVfi5
— Patrick Greenfield (@pgreenfielduk) November 7, 2022 While politicians, diplomats and activists from around the world meet in Egypt, the UK government’s net zero tsar is holding a strange summit of his own back on home turf.
Conservative MP Chris Skidmore, who is leading the government’s net zero review, has revealed that he has been meeting with the Net Zero Scrutiny Group; a selection of MPs who believe the country is acting too far and too fast when it comes to climate targets.
Craig Mackinlay, the MP for Thanet, leads the controversial group of around 20 MPs, and told the BBC that he and Skidmore had already “got agreement on some things” related to net zero, such as the need for better home insulation. He said a meeting with Skidmore was in the works.
Opposition MPs have reacted with disgust. Caroline Lucas, the Green MP, said “climate delayers should be nowhere near government policy”, and Lib Dem Wera Hobhouse said the meeting was “worrying” and “sends completely the wrong signal” in the month of Cop27.
Rishi Sunak must come clean on the UK’s climate finance shortfall, the Green party has said ahead of his speech this afternoon.
At Cop26, former prime minister Boris Johnson pledged to boost spending on supporting the nations most at risk from the impacts of the climate emergency. However, figures suggest the UK has only paid £1.3bn of the £2.3bn a year pledged, and the Greens say the “government has refused to reveal exactly how much it has short-changed the countries in greatest need”.
Green party co-leader Adrian Ramsay said:
Ahead of Rishi Sunak’s speech to Cop27 this afternoon, we call on the government to come clean and reveal exactly how far short the UK has fallen in its contributions towards climate finance – a crucial fund to support those poorer countries on the front line of the climate crisis but which have done little to contribute to the problem.
It is suggested that the UK may have short-changed the fund by a whopping billion pounds. But let’s see the figures. What we do know is that collectively the rich nations have consistently failed to meet a $100bn annual target on climate finance, and that the UK government is party to this failure. We also know the government has raided the overseas aid budget to pay for climate finance when it pledged that it would be additional money. And the aid budget itself has already been cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP.
The prime minister must use his speech today to pledge he will deliver the UK’s overdue climate finance. The whole Cop process risks failure unless richer countries deliver climate justice by paying their fair share. Any claims of global leadership by Rishi Sunak will sound hollow when we are failing to meet our own promises to the countries most affected by the climate crisis.
Patrick Greenfield
Some cafes and restaurants have run out of food and water at the Cop27, according to delegates, with long queues across the site in Sharm El-Sheikh.
“Everyone is asking where to get food. It’s really hard to find vegetarian food especially. Yesterday there was only meat options,” said one delegate from a European country.
The lack of sustenance is understood to be affecting negotiations, with no food left for delegates on Saturday during overnight talks.
“In the grab and go places, they told us there is no food left. It’s better organised than Glasgow – the queues were terrible in Scotland – but food here is a problem. It really matters!” said a delegate from an NGO waiting in a queue.
Long queues could be seen across the site, with some saying they had been waiting 45 minutes to get a snack.
“This is the third time I’ve tried to queue for food. In some places, the water has run out. I’ve still not got food,” said a woman waiting in a queue. “I’m hoping for something to keep me going for the day but there’s only croissants.”
The Cop27 presidency has been contacted for comment.
King Charles ‘not attending in any shape or form’Hello! I’m Helena Horton, an environment reporter at the Guardian, and I’ll be taking you through Cop27 for the rest of the day.
While looking at the online agenda for the opening ceremony, my colleague Damian Carrington spotted that King Charles was listed as speaking. Could he be making a surprise video appearance, like that by the late Queen at Cop26 last year?
We asked the Palace, and they said he was listed in error. A spokesperson said: “I’m afraid that information is incorrect, he will not be making an appearance or statement in any shape or form, virtual or otherwise.”
strange … on UN website, the “King of the United Kingdom” was on the speaker list at the opening of #COP27
but palace spokesman tells @horton_official “I’m afraid that is incorrect, he will not be making an appearance or statement in any shape or form, virtual or otherwise” pic.twitter.com/1tT3ioRYw5
— Damian Carrington (@dpcarrington) November 7, 2022 The monarch was earlier advised by Rishi Sunak not to attend the climate event, despite his decades of campaigning on the subject. But the fact he was listed perhaps suggests his attendance was expected.
The king last week hosted a Cop27 event at Buckingham Palace, attended by important figures from around the world, to start off the summit.
King Charles speaks to Rishi Sunak and Stella McCartney at Buckingham Palace. November 4, 2022. Jonathan Brady/Pool via REUTERS Photograph: ReutersThe leaders are taking a break, and I will be handing over to my colleague Helena Horton.
A summary of the morning:
The Cop27 high level segment for heads of states and government was officially declared open by the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
Before the session opened, Boris Johnson told an audience this is “not the moment to go weak on net zero” or to let Putin get away with his war in Ukraine.
UN secretary general, Antònio Guterres, called for a climate solidarity pact, and warned that we are on the “highway to climate hell”.
Al Gore, the US politician who did so much to raise awareness of this issue, pleaded for leaders to end what he calls “this culture of death” and argued that “Africa can be a renewable energy superpower”.
And the row about oil and gas exploitation in Africa – which will undoubtedly be one of the key themes of this year’s Cop – is under way. The African Energy Chamber believes that natural gas will be vital for a just energy transition, but NGO leaders such as Mohamed Adow argue that Africa must not be turned into “Europe’s gas station”.