COP27: The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) is being held from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The UK will hand over presidency to Egypt, having hosted COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021.

Key themes at COP27

The Egyptian presidency has outlined four key themes for COP27: mitigation, adaptation, finance and collaboration. It has called for all nations to build on the commitments of COP26 and highlighted the need for immediate action on climate mitigation.

In total, 11 different topics will be covered on different thematic days during the conference, covering topics such as finance, water, gender, biodiversity, agriculture and energy.

The Egyptian Presidency has said it aims to draw attention to the severe impacts of climate change on African countries that have contributed relatively little to global emissions.  It is advocating for a “just and managed transition to a new sustainable economic model,” whereby developed and richer countries, which are likely to have higher historical greenhouse gas emissions, provide financial support to developing countries to adapt to climate change

Protests and human rights concerns

Commentators have highlighted that hosting COP27 will bring increased global attention to Egypt and increase its international standing. However, there are also concerns over human rights in the country. 

There have been calls for protests at the summit, with reports of arrests and increased government restrictions in response. The Egyptian Government has said it will allow climate activists to protest during COP27. 

This briefing covers the main themes of COP27 and some of the geo-political issues surrounding the build-up to the conference.