Countries have struck a hard-fought final deal at the COP27 climate conference that sets up a fund to help poorer countries facing climate disasters – but doesn’t step up efforts to tackle the emissions it causes.
Here’s what people are saying about Sunday’s deal:
Frans Timmermans, head of the EU’s climate policy
“This is only ten years, but what we have is not enough for the progress of people and the planet.
“I ask you to accept when you leave this room that we have all failed to do something to prevent and reduce damage and destruction. If we had done more, our citizens expect us to lead.”
“Most parties are not ready to make progress today on the climate crisis.”
Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute
“It is surprising that countries have not had the courage to stop fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
“Cost of waste and damage is important – but it’s not the answer if climate change wipes a small island off the map, or turns an entire African continent into a desert. The world still needs a big leap forward in climate action.
“To have any hope of keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius, we need to invest more in innovation and end our addiction to fossil fuels. We need to avoid the energy conflicts that developing countries end up in – as they did in the race to find a vaccine for COVID-19. Doubling on fossil fuels under land is a big problem.”
Director of the UN Development Program Achim Steiner
“It doesn’t make sense to fund the intractable effects of climate change without investing more in the adaptation and mitigation measures that developing countries need to address the causes.”
Pakistan’s Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman
“We have been struggling for 30 years on this route and today in Sharm el-Sheikh the trip has achieved a great success…
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock
Germany expressed “hope and disappointment” over the outcome of the UN COP27 climate conference which ended on Sunday.
“We’ve made great progress on climate change – it’s a big international deal after years of standoff,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on Twitter. But the lack of desire to reduce emissions means that “the world is wasting precious time on the road to 1.5 degrees”, he said.
“It’s very disappointing to see the reductions and removals of fossil fuels being built by big rocks and big oil producers.”
French Minister of Energy Agnes Pannier-Runacher
“No progress” has been made in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and abandon fossil fuels, Pannier-Runacher said, regretting the “real disappointment” but accepting the lost fund and damage to countries at risk of climate change.
“Nevertheless, what was made in Glasgow was repeated, especially on the need to have a target of 1.5 ° C. That was a red line for us. It was necessary to confirm 1.5 ° C in this context of the energy crisis that would allow others to believe that we will abandon that target to let’s deal with this problem. It’s not like that. We reaffirmed that goal, and now we’re moving forward.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister and COP27 Chairman Sameh Shoukry
“My friends, we heard the call and we responded. Today here in Sharm el-Sheikh we launched the first fund dedicated to damage and destruction, a fund that has been in the making for a long time.
“Millions around the world now see little hope that their problems will be properly resolved.”
Maldives Environment Minister Aminath Shauna
“I want to continue living in the Maldives. I also want my two-year-old daughter to grow up in the Maldives.”
“We are almost a few meters above sea level. Every unit of temperature rise and every millimeter of sea level rise threatens our existence.”
“We made it clear in the last two weeks that we wanted to reduce [cutting emissions] It was the cornerstone of our results here at COP27. I’m disappointed we didn’t get there. “
Kristin Tilley, Australia’s climate change ambassador
“We have made great progress at COP27 to establish new financing mechanisms, including a fund, and explore more ways to help developing countries that are at greatest risk of climate change.
“However, we need to work harder based on the latest scientific findings.”
Alok Sharma, chairman of COP26
“Increasing emissions before 2025, as the science tells us, is essential. Not in this text. A clear commitment to the decline of coal. Not in this text. A clear commitment to phase out all fossil fuels. Not in this text. And notes strong, weak, in the last moments.
“Each of us must explain this to our citizens, the most vulnerable countries and regions around the world, and to the children and grandchildren many of us are going home to.”
