Written By: Elle Eyestone
Edited By: Ada Collins
As COP 27 continues, further talk of translating plans into action has taken place. On November 9th, the Supervisory Body of the Paris Climate Agreement closed their third meeting and released a collection of recommendations.[1]
On November 10th, United States President Joe Biden announced a new proposal that will limit pollution from oil and gas production.[2] He agreed that climate policies translate to beneficial economic policies, and assured the representatives in attendance that the US would meet their emissions targets by 2030.[2] This would mean cutting between 50 and 52% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 2030.[2]
Notably, the Chinese and Indian presidents were not in attendance at this year’s climate talks.[2] Despite both countries leading the world, along with the US, in emissions, it seems that neither will be announcing new plans to cut emissions. However, representatives from China did affirm that they are on track to decrease their emissions after 2030 and reach net-zero by 2060.[2] The Natural Resources Defense Council called on the Environmental Protection Agency to finalize a regulation that would reduce emissions of methane.[2] Further, the UN launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) to detect large emissions of methane.[2]
Overall, many negotiators seem to be frustrated with the slow pacing of the talks thus far.[3] The first week has left many unresolved agenda items to be reached in the second week of COP 27. Tom Evans, a policy analyst, added that there has been a lack of solidarity between developing and developed countries, leading to an apparent lack of trust and action.[3]
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Work Cited:
1. “Supervisory Body Submits Recommendations on Article 6.4 Mechanism to Parties in Sharm El-Sheikh.” United Nations Climate Change, November 9, 2022. https://unfccc.int/news/supervisory-body-submits-recommendations-on-article-64-mechanism-to-parties-in-sharm-el-sheikh.
2. Hersher, Rebecca, Lauren Sommer, and Michael Copley. “Here's What Happened on Friday at the U.N.'s cop27 Climate Talks.” NPR. NPR, November 11, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/11/11/1135999379/heres-what-happened-on-friday-at-the-u-n-s-cop27-climate-talks.
3. James, William, Kate Abnett, and Valerie Volcovici. “At COP27 Climate Talks, Slow Progress Stokes Worry over Final Deal.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, November 13, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/cop27-climate-talks-slow-progress-stokes-worry-over-final-deal-2022-11-13/.