Yadav also attended the ceremonial opening of COP 27 where Egypt took over the COP Presidency from the UK…reports Asian Lite News
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday inaugurated India Pavilion at the 27th Session of Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh.
“I am confident that, throughout the duration of COP, India Pavilion will continue to remind the delegates that simple lifestyle and individual practices that are sustainable in nature can help protect Mother Earth,” he said while inaugurating the pavilion.
“India believes climate action starts from the grassroots, individual level and hence designed the India Pavilion with the theme of LiFE- Lifestyle for Environment.”
India also pushed forward the idea of climate finance, introduction of new technologies, and new collaborations to facilitate technology transfers, he added.
Yadav also attended the ceremonial opening of COP 27 where Egypt took over the COP Presidency from the UK.
Meanwhile, the 27th session of COP27 has kicked off introducing for the first time the loss and damage funding into the agenda.
Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian Foreign Minister and president of COP27, said during the opening press conference on Sunday that he is pleased to see the Parties agreed to introduce loss and damage funding as an agenda item, adding that the world needs a “qualitative leap to confront climate change’s challenges”, reports Xinhua news agency.
The term “loss and damage” in UN climate negotiations refers to expenses already incurred as a result of climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels or extreme heat waves.
While current climate funding focuses on cutting carbon emissions to prevent climate change in the future, establishing a “loss and damage” fund means compensating countries that can’t avoid or “adapt” to the changes that have already happened.
The Egyptian diplomat also noted that numerous burdens and crises are brought on by the current global geopolitical environment, adding those need to be handled so that they will not affect progress in achieving commitments related to combating climate change.
Shoukry said that the countries of the African continent are among the countries that suffer from problems and issues of climate change.
“The countries of the African continent have shown their willingness to confront climate change, but they need support,” he said.
The Foreign Minister presided over a meeting earlier in the day to finalize the COP27 agenda, which included numerous items that aim to adapt to the effects of climate change, mitigate its negative repercussions, and ways to provide climate finance.
During the meeting, Shoukry stressed the need to confront the negative effects of climate change during the two-week conference, where over 40,000 participants from over 190 countries and dozens of international and regional organisations will try to work together and seek possible solutions to one of the biggest challenges the world is facing.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said that COP27 comes at a very sensitive time in which the world is exposed to “existential dangers”.
“There is no doubt that these dangers and challenges require quick action by all countries to lay down a rescue roadmap that protects the world from the effects of climate change,” Sisi said in an official statement on his Facebook page.