KEPSA represented by Environment, Water and Natural Resources Sector Board Chair and Vice-Chair, Ms Emily Waita and Ms Karen Basiye respectively and Ms Faith Ngige – Climate Business Information Network- Kenya Coordinator participated in the 27^th Session of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – COP 27 that took place in Egypt – Sharm El Sheikh from 6^th – 18^th November 2022. COP27 President was H.E Minister Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s Foreign Minister.

The conference was built on previous editions of the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC and brought together governments, the private sector, civil society, youth and children, and academia from across the world.  The theme of COP27 was, ‘Together for Implementation’.  Part II update of the thematic focus for 12^th – 18^th November 2022 is as follows:  

Adaptation and Agriculture for Sustainable Development Thematic Day

The adaptation and agriculture thematic day on 12^th November 2022 brought together diverse voices of policymakers, scientists, researchers, civil society and government can help communities drive adaptation for sustainable development. The sessions focused on how the world will feed eight billion people amidst the crisis of climate change. There is a need to urgently address the transformation of agri-food systems and to integrate climate responses to peace and security, to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable in Africa by 2030 and to deliver healthy diets respectively. 

COP 27 President H.E Sameh Shoukry, said that "As we reach the milestone of human development, we must ensure that our food systems are equipped to provide communities around the world with food that is produced in an inclusive, responsible and sustainable way."  Sessions of the day focused on food security and climate change, particularly the impact of climate change on hunger and malnutrition and how adaptation could reverse this two.  Other areas of focus for the day included; How to avert minimize and address loss and damage to infrastructure using partnerships between businesses and societies by investing in artificial intelligence and technologically driven early warning systems.  In a further deep dive into Shaping the way forward for adaptation, Ministers explored adaptation measures on the development of comprehensive monitoring systems to advance climate change adaptation. The adaptation, innovations and technologies delved into ways in which governments, businesses and institutions can scale up climate change adaptation.

• The day saw the launch of the 'Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CSRP)' which seeks to strengthen Africa's Adaptation and Peace Building Nexus, Sustain Peace through climate-proof food systems Capacities' and mobilize integrated climate finances responses that advance sustainable peace and development. The initiative was developed by Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peace Keeping with the support of UNDP that will contribute to the realization of Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063.

Gender and Just Transition for Strengthening Resilience of Communities

14^th November 2022, a thematic day focused on Gender and just transitions for resilient communities and brought together women climate leaders at national, regional, and global community levels with an aim of bringing to the fore the gender issues in climate change and providing a platform to look into sound policies, best practices and effective solutions.

 Women continue to bear the disproportionate burden of the adverse effects of climate change. They also remain underrepresented in climate governance and decision-making structures.  In the wake of disasters, 80% of that needing assistance are often women and children while poor women in rural areas are 14 times more likely to die during a natural disaster. It was highlighted that women must be fully integrated into the processes of formulating and implementing policies to ensure fair gender inclusion.

 At the Women, Livelihood within Just Transition Economic Transition session, the discussions focused on the consideration of gender as part of ensuring a just and managed transition to new and more sustainable and inclusive economic models. Training and skills building is central to preserving social and economic gains and opening new pathways for women's economic empowerment and gender equality.  The session of the day shared success stories around the world with a view of promoting gender-sensitive and responsive policies, strategies and actions.  There is a win-win for all stakeholders in involving women in climate action and this must be taken advantage of to develop and execute effective adaption solutions The following initiatives focusing on gender and just transition were launched:

• The launch of the African Women's Climate Adaptative Priorities initiative by the President of the National Council of Women in Egypt, Dr May Morsy.
• Egypt’s COP 27 Presidency in partnership with World Metrological Organization (WMO) also launched,” Action on Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARe)," which will champion inclusive cooperation of the Water and climate coalition to address water-related challenges and solutions across climate change adaptation. This includes decreasing water losses worldwide and improving water supply, implementing mutually agreed policies and methods and cooperative water-related adaptation action and co-benefits as well as promoting cooperation and interlinkages between water and climate action for the achievement of agenda 2030 in particular SDG6.
• On 15^th November 2022, the COP27 Presidency launched the 'Africa's Women Climate Adaptative Priorities' initiative to ramp up the inclusion of women for a climate resilience future. It will focus on strengthening women's participation in environmental governance and leverage opportunities within the just transition to the green economy for achieving sustainable development.

Affordable Energy Transition

COP 27 Energy Day on 15^th November 2022, focused on balancing Energy Trilemma. The discussions included the role of renewables, smart grids, energy efficiency and energy storage within a comprehensive energy ecosystem that evolves and transfer the energy sector for a just energy transition.  Commenting on the energy day, COP27 President, H.E Sameh Shoukry, said, "Energy is one of the most carbon-intensive sectors in any given economy, making it one of the most important areas of effect meaningful mitigation measures that contribute to addressing climate change and transitioning to a green economy for the future. Science is clear that we need to half emissions by 2030, there is, therefore, a need to invest in new sources of energy that are clean, affordable, accessible, sustainable and reliable."

Ministers of energy, leaders of development financial institutions and energy security experts debated on ways to address the current energy crisis and the long-term pathways to transition from reliance on fossil fuel. The world added 275 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2021. To achieve 90% decarbonization by 2050, it will involve renewal energy through the direct supply of low-cost power, efficiency, electrification, bio-energy, green hydrogen, and greater financial flows particularly to Africa which has attracted 2% of the global renewable investments between years 2000 and 2020 and is concentrated in only four countries.

The importance of innovation and technology in enabling the transition to low-carbon energy systems, technical solutions for electrical systems such as battery storage, smart grids, green hydrogen policies, and financing clean energy transition were discussed extensively.  Initiatives launched in the day include:

• Africa Just and Affordable Energy Transition Initiative (AJAETI) focuses on solutions to help Africa overcome its energy transition dilemma by identifying risks and opportunities and to empower the critical enables required for success.

Connecting Climate Change and Biodiversity

16^th November 2022 thematic day focused on, "Connecting Climate change and Biodiversity."  Three pillars of Present, Hope and Vision set the context of the nexus between biodiversity and climate change calling for defined pathways to scale up action that addresses biodiversity loss and climate action.  The President of CoP 27, in his remarks on the interconnectedness of climate change and biodiversity, said, "Biodiversity on our planet is at the heart of people's economic, social and cultural well-being but climate change is accelerating biodiversity loss around the globe,". The rapid destruction of ecosystems is increasing our vulnerability to the impact of climate change. We cannot address biodiversity loss without ramping up our implementation of climate solutions. They are not mutually exclusive."

The sessions of the day covered, "hope for coral reefs," and in particular the significance of coral reefs as home to the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem globally and directly support over 500 million people worldwide. They are among the most threatened ecosystems and their only chance of survival s to limit global average temperature to below two degrees above pre-industrial levels.

 The role of conservation, restoration and management of ecosystems in conserving carbon stocks and sequestering carbon. There are also socioeconomic costs on biodiversity and nature-based solutions in addressing climate change. There is therefore an urgent need to scale up action to address biodiversity by the private sector and governments through Public Private Partnership mechanisms in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.

• The day saw the launch of the, " ENACT,"  initiative for nature-based solutions by Germany and the International Union on Conservation of Nature ( IUCN)  that will among other things, enhance protection and resilience to climate impacts of at least 1 billion vulnerable people, secure up to 2.4 billion hectares of healthy natural and sustainable agricultural ecosystems' as well as significantly increase global mitigation efforts through protecting, conserving and restoring carbon-rich terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Solutions Pathways to Paris Agreement

The last thematic programming day of COP 27 on 17^th November 2022 focus was "Solutions Day," in relation to climate actions that provide complimentary pathways to enhance climate action and to ensure countries are able to fulfil their nationally determined contribution and to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

There is a need to ensure that cities around the world are part of climate solutions to accelerate multi-level action and bolder leadership to meet the goal of 1.5 Celsius degrees by 2030. To this end, COP 27 with the support of UN Habit convened the first-ever COP Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change. The discussions focused on the role of housing, urban development and multi-level action in relation to climate change.

The Methane Ministerial Meeting also took place on the same day, a year after the launch of the "Global Methane Pledge at COP26. The meeting provided an opportunity for countries that took the pledge to share experiences and best practices, show commitments, and benefit from enhanced access to finance and technical support through bilateral and multi-lateral arrangements.  Discussions also highlighted crucial efforts needed to address methane emissions with the ambitious aim of achieving at least a 30 per cent reduction in global methane emissions by 2030 based on 2020 levels.

The first Egyptian carbon offsetting company was also launched at COP27. The company aims at issuing carbon credits to the private sector providing innovative solutions to aid Egypt's efforts in combating climate change.

Other key sessions of the day included: 1000+ Clean and Efficient Solutions to COP27 that brought together innovators to share their experience and knowledge on the high Impact of climate-related solutions for cities and developing economies.

The building Green Businesses: From Climate Impact Start-Ups to Companies that brought together entrepreneurs, business leaders and think tanks, to share these success stories in delivering innovative and climate-resilient solutions.

The Road from Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) to World Urban Forum 2024 (WUF12) and African Cities 2025, covered the link between climate change and sustainable urban development as well as the importance of COP27 to African Cities.

Four key solutions initiatives were launched, they include

• Friends of Greening National Investment Plans in Africa and Developing Countries Initiative- focused on the need to redefine economic policies around factors that impact climate change, adaptation and mitigation.
• Low carbon transport for urban sustainability initiative
• Sustainable urban resilience for next generation initiative
• Global Waste Initiative 50 by 2050