COP27 must put people at heart of its agenda: Sherry Rehman.

SHARM EL-SHEIKH -- 'People and their lives, particularly vulnerable communities, must be at the heart of COP27, along with the will to put them back on their feet as they face the accelerated impacts of climate stress. The Loss and Damage agenda must be taken forward with clear political will,' said Senator Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Climate Change at COP27.

'This COP has been advertised as the 'Implementation COP' and often billed as one that will put Adaptation at its core, but while we seek to find common ground on shared challenges including a commitment to announced pledges and NDCs, we are yet to see the momentum to move forward on the business of saving ourselves from the uncertain post 1.5C degree future,' she remarked in a news release.

The Minister was speaking at the high-level Loss and Damage plenary, where she said that the Global South has high expectations for the creation and announcement of a Loss and Damage Facility from this COP. 'We are still committed to all the goals of this COP despite emitting less than 1% GHG globally, but we have expectations from the members of the UNFCCC. We have articulated our concerns at every step, and as we come close to the finishing line, there is a concern that if we don't see a window or a facility that indicates a commitment towards repairing loss and damages, then it is going to be the 'other 1%' that will suffer and fail their vulnerable populations.' she stated.

The Minister also highlighted that vulnerable countries under extreme public debt cannot be left alone to deal with the impact of climate change, and the global financial system must be rewired to address these new existential challenges. 'We are also told that until 2030, the cost of surviving the impacts of loss and damage - which our emissions haven't caused - is...

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