Some of the SBC team and members attended the briefing today (13 October) on COP27, delivered by MFAT. For those members who weren’t able to make it, here are some of the key points covered in the session by Climate Change Ambassador Kay Harris and other members of the delegation.
Global context for COP27
- COP26 in Glasgow was a high point, with focus on new and enhanced commitments.
- It’s now time for implementation and action on the ground. New Zealand has a good story to tell on implementation now that we have our first set of emissions budgets, the Emissions Reduction Plan, and the National Adaptation Plan.
- This is a COP taking place in Africa (Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt) and Egypt as President will be focussed on Africa’s issues, including adaptation, finance and loss and damage.
New Zealand’s priorities for COP27
New Zealand’s priorities for engagement at this year’s COP include:
- Leading and investing in a resilient Pacific transition, including through hosting a Moana Blue Pacific pavilion
- Looking for ways to cooperate with other countries to reduce emissions, including through advancing carbon markets discussions which are progressing slowly.
- Telling our story of climate action and implementation
In terms of what we can expect out of COP27, the MFAT team noted that the negotiations have changed in recent years. We can no longer expect huge milestones like the Paris Agreement and the Paris Rule Book. The process now is focussed on implementation and progress – i.e. more iterative with fewer “big bangs”.
At COP27, the NZ team will be focussed on negotiating and facilitating negotiations, supporting Climate Minister James Shaw, and looking after the New Zealanders taking part in the COP. The official delegation will include members of civil society, including some business representatives. The MFAT team noted that the government took a more conservative approach to the size of the official delegation this year than it has in recent years. MFAT will be revisiting its process for assembling the official delegation to the COP next year.
