Geography PhD student Emma Loizeaux and professor Emily Yeh听(photo R.)听both attended the UNFCCC COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022 as part of a collaborative event ethnography project on 鈥淧ower and (in)justice in global climate governance.鈥澨鼸mma was there during Week 1 and Emily during Week 2.听
Our goal was to focus on the role of China at COP27 in terms of climate discourses and the question of scale in climate (in)justice. In particular, we hoped to pay particular attention to advocacy of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and 鈥渘ature-based solutions鈥� (NbS); and positions on climate adaptation finance, and loss and damage. We generally began our days at the constituency meetings of RINGO (Research and Independent NGOs) to meet other researchers and orient ourselves toward the negotiations happening that day.听听We then divided our time between side events, particularly those at the China Pavilion, and observing negotiating sessions that were open to observers.听听We focused on negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (on 鈥渃ooperative approaches鈥� to achieving Nationally Determined Contributions, including creating a global emissions market); the Global Goal on Adaptation; a financial mechanism for loss and damage; and in the last two days, heated negotiations over the text of the cover decision.听听
As was widely reported, numerous infrastructural problems plagued the conference.听听In its first few days, there was inadequate water to drink, food was outrageously priced within the isolated, fenced venue, participants spotted at least one sewage flood, and most observers could not watch sessions because there were far too few seats and security did not allow observers to sit on the floor.听听While most of these issues were resolved by the second week, sound systems remained a problem in the temporary structures that housed some of the negotiating rooms.听听Where headsets were not available, blowing fans, frequent airplanes flying overhead, and generally bad acoustics made it quite difficult to follow sessions in these rooms.听听Delegates also spent a lot of time complaining to session co-facilitators about not receiving draft negotiating texts with adequate time to review, and arguing about whether future working sessions on various agenda items should be in-person or hybrid, and on the merits of Word vs PDF documents for group work.
Because of our focus on negotiations and on China-related side events, we did not make it out to the Green Zone, the space for civil society and others without official badges.听听Though advertised as being 鈥渏ust across the street鈥� from the official (鈥淏lue Zone鈥�) venue, it was in fact difficult to get there, and others reported that little was happening there beyond exhibits by local Egyptian artists and activities.听听Adjacent to the Green Zone was a designated 鈥渄emonstration area,鈥� a marker of the host country鈥檚 authoritarian approach to the tradition of significant street protests just beyond the COP gates. Because of the demonstration zone鈥檚 distance from the venue itself, most activist groups boycotted this space, instead focusing attention on winning UN approval for protests within the Blue Zone, where participants would be limited to those with conference badges but where visibility to negotiators, the media, and conference-goers would be higher. We witnessed Blue Zone protests that included singing and chants of 鈥�1.5 to stay alive!鈥� 鈥淭he people united will never be defeated!鈥�, 鈥淪ystem change, not climate change,鈥� 鈥淐limate justice now!鈥� and the ever-popular 鈥淔ossil of the Day鈥� ceremony (awarded to countries who 鈥渁re doing the most to achieve the least.鈥�)听
Despite the presence of activists and pavilions dedicated to Climate Justice and Indigenous Peoples, the larger pavilion space, which included both country and organization pavilions, was very corporate in message and feel.听Greenwashing was prevalent. An unprecedented 636 fossil fuel lobbyists attended the COP 鈥� a greater number than all but one country delegation. The Business pavilion listed Chevron and Exxon-Mobil as being among its 鈥減artners.鈥澨齇PEC had a pavilion and the Gulf States all had gigantic pavilions. Because of the expense of the pavilions, on the other hand, many sub-Saharan African states had pavilions with multiple sponsors 鈥� including oil companies.听听
The fact that there was finally an agreement, however vague, to establish a fund for Loss and Damage, was the only notably positive outcome 鈥� and one that was the culmination of years of activism. Although President Biden, in his plenary hall speech, apologized for the U.S. withdrawal from Paris and proclaimed that 鈥渢he United States is meeting the climate crisis with urgency and with determination,鈥�1听within the negotiating rooms U.S. delegates could be seen dragging their feet on numerous technical points. On loss and damage, they argued that existing funds should be used for this purpose, that more studies are needed on the issue, that a lengthy roll-out timeline will be necessary, and ultimately required that the text specify that the fund has nothing to do with 鈥渓iability鈥� or 鈥渃ompensation.鈥澨齋uch tactics were met with frustration and sometimes derision from other Parties. Representatives from Saudi Arabia, China, and other members of the Like-Minded Developing Country negotiating group argued against the 1.5 degree goal, and against any mention of fossil fuels.听听Although 1.5 fortunately remained, fossil fuels were omitted from the final cover decision.听听The intent is clear: to allow 鈥渕itigation鈥� efforts to focus on CCUS and other technological solutions that allow continued extraction and burning of fossil fuels, despite high costs and uncertain mitigation benefits, instead of reductions in consumption and pursuit of the 鈥渏ust transition鈥� that climate justice advocates at the COP so clearly called for.听听听Actors from many countries, including the US, are pushing these technologies, arguing that 鈥渢he math鈥� says that it is the only option 鈥� despite much evidence to the contrary and despite activists鈥� arguments against false solutions.听
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Images of COP27 from Emily and Emma
