Introduction

COP26 is an initiative of the United Nations for the addressing issue about climate
change wherein it just begun as a fringe issue but was turned to a global priority (UN Climate
Change Conference, 2021). The initiative of the United Nations to form COP or the “Conference
of the Parties” started three decades ago and has been bringing almost every country for global
climate summits. The conference commenced last November 2021 and United Kingdom was
the host of the 26th annual summit, thus calling it COP26. United Kingdom was the President of
COP and the summit conference took place in Glasgow.

The main purpose and target of the conference as UK worked with every nation it has
brought to this event was to reach an agreement especially on talking with climate change. It
includes world leaders, negotiators, government representatives, businesses and citizens for
thirteen days of talks.

In COP21, the Paris Agreement was born wherein every country agreed to work
together in limiting the global warming to below 2 degrees and aims for 1.5 degrees. The agreed
commitment between nations will lessen the degree of warming that may result to the loss of
many more lives lost and damaged livelihoods. In this agreement, the countries brought out
their national plans on how much they would reduce their emissions or the Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs). And after every five years, they would meet again with an
updated plan that reflects their highest possible aim.

COP26 in Egypt

With the existence of the Paris Agreement and the commitment of different nations, the
COP President Alok Sharma had a constructive visit to Egypt together with the host countries of
the next two UN Climate Summits, COP27 and COP28. It was said that this meeting was to
engage the countries between Egypt, UAE and UK in Abu Dhabi ahead of COP27 and COP28
(UN Climate Change Conference, 2022). The President of the COP has met a lot of
Government Ministers that includes Prime Minister Madbouly and Egypt’s COP President-
Designate, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

According to an article published by The Arab Republic of Germany: Presidency (2021),

during the COP26, the Spokesman for the Presidency signified the role that Egypt will play both
regionally and internationally within the framework of climate change negotiations. The
upcoming conference will also be focusing on topics of interest that will develop countries
especially African countries, with regards to enhancing the efforts towards strengthening
international climate action; this serves as an addition to the underscoring the importance of the
industrial countries’ commitment to their pledges within the framework of the Paris Agreement
and also pointing out Egypt’s willingness to host the incoming climate change summit in 2022
(The Arab Republic of Germany: Presidency, 2021).

On the other hand, last November 2021, the Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency
confirmed the eagerness of Egypt in the advancing of the bilateral cooperation with Austria in all
fields, particularly in trade, economy and tourism, within the framework of the cooperation
relations and historical friendship between Egypt and Austria (The Arab Republic of Germany:
Presidency, 2021). In addition to that, the Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency and the
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mr. Mark Rutte tackled about the ongoing cooperation in the
field of water management and means to benefit from the Dutch expertise in irrigation and
agriculture projects. The meeting also discussed latest developments on different regional
issues of common interest such as the maintenance of regional peace and security in the
Middle East and Africa and also it reached political solutions that its turbulent regional
surrounding is going through which has contributed ultimate to the restoration of stability and
security in the region’s countries.

Agreements reached during COP27 in Egypt

After the advance planning of the upcoming COP27 in Egypt, it has commenced in
Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Even with the advanced planning and the eagerness of different
countries to fight off against climate change and global warming, articles published said that the
commitments of the countries were lacking in some certain key areas (Polley, 2022).

Celeste Polley (2022) enumerated the main points from COP27. Firstly, the leaders
pushed back against phasing out of fossil fuels. There was also a shortfall in sworn climate
funding for poor nations. They also called to accelerate the formation of renewable energy. They
also agreed that the wealthier nations will fund the developing countries. And lastly, they agreed
to build resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Analysis on the Agreements reached in the COP27 in Egypt

In the recent COP27, the leaders pushed back against phasing out the use of fossil
fuels. This would be very beneficial and contributing to the Paris Agreement of maintaining 1.5
degrees Celsius and less of global temperature. However, it was widely known that fossil fuels
are still produce oils through burning them. Saudi Arabia, one of the oil-producing countries still
ignores the call to completely replace the use of fossil fuels in producing oils especially this is
one of their main sources of income and they are one of the greatest suppliers of oil in the
whole world. Therefore, the Egyptian delegation has excluded the phasing down of fossil fuels
but rather finalized the agreement that motivates the efforts towards the phasedown of
unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

The second point was that there was a shortfall in sworn climate funding for poor
nations. According to Polley (2022), wealthier nations has pledged poorer nations 100-billion-
dollars each year by 2020 in 2019. It was said to help limit greenhouse gas emissions and a just
to the worsening impacts of climate change, like floods and droughts, among other concerning
consequences. Both developed countries and poorer countries are contributors of emission of
pollution but the poorer countries don’t have adequate finances to invest in the clean energy
systems, thus the promise. In the end, the participants had urged the wealthier countries to
keep their word on their long-standing promises to fund the poorer nations.

The third point was that wealthier nations agreed to fund developing countries. They
arrived to an agreement that they will fund developing nations who are most vulnerable to
climate change. As a significant contributor of pollution, the rich countries will have to support
the countries who really haven’t contributed a lot in the climate crisis and yet they were also a
victim of the effects. The problem that surfaces here however how to fund the world is estimated
a four-trillion-dollar expense each year by the world in order to establish a low-carbon global
economy. With regards to the funds, the developed and developing countries urged changes to
the World Bank and other public finance institutions as the change in the way of development
banks in the management of their financial affairs could offer a lot of assistance to the
developing countries.

The fourth point was the call to accelerate the formation of renewable energy. Aside
from the prevention, solutions were also reached into agreements that will pump billions into
clean energy in rapidly growing countries. Indonesia for example, with its Just Energy Transition
Partnership (JETP), will help the country to shift towards a cleaner energy. The partnership will
help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions; will push for sustainable development and
economic growth; and will protect the communities and workers in affected areas.

And lastly, the resilience-building to the impacts of climate change was also agreed on
the COP27. The protection of the reserved lands, forests, wetlands, swamps, and building flood
defenses would require a lot of financial support especially for poorer countries. In addition to
this concern, there has already been shortage in the funding for the poorer countries. One of the
said solutions is to preserve the nature as nature itself will reduce the impacts of climate
change; it will naturally pull out carbon dioxide in the air for us. However, it has become a topic
of debate— the preservation of nature— which has been our source of means for survival. And
lastly, their new plan was to encourage more weather forecasts and disaster warnings in places
especially that don’t have good national weather services.

Position of the Philippines on the result of COP27

As one of the developing countries in the world, Philippines also is one of the countries
that is subject for the allocation of support from the wealthier countries. In a statement from
Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga in their Department of Environment and natural Resources website
(2022), Philippines will continue to assert its entitlement to support and assistance as a country
vulnerable to climate change impacts. Environment Secretary and the head of the Philippine
delegation to the 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP27) has declared positively that
they will be protecting the country’s interest in climate change negotiation and ensure that
Philippines will receive the appropriate support and assistance as a country vulnerable to
climate change. In addition, this will also be the country’s call for bolder climate action and
demand of what should be given to the developing countries who are not the main contributors
of the greenhouse gas emission but suffers the effects of climate change.

Even though the Philippines is adamant about receiving the help from the wealthier
countries, the Secretary clarifies that this is the willingness of the Philippines to be a part of the
solution especially in the participation in COP27 wherein it is the biggest platform for nations
and government partners to negotiate and address climate change and its effects. It is also a
declaration that the Philippine delegates stands with the nations and support Egypt’s efforts in
galvanizing and revitalizing international consensus and political will in addressing the threats to
safety of humanity because of climate change (Loyzaga, 2022).

Conclusion

The conference of parties is an initiative that started with a great vision of building
great solutions, ideas and agreements between countries in order to address the effects of
climate change and lessen the factors that contribute to it. The COP27 held in Sharm El-Sheikh,
Egypt, and the planning which was done in advance had produced great ideas to address the
issue on global warming and its effects especially in poorer and developing countries
particularly African countries aiming to reduce global warming to 1.5 percent. The spokesperson
of the presidency in Egypt also signified the country’s role not just regionally but also
internationally in the framework of climate change negotiations. The meeting also tackled the
importance of maintaining peace and security in the middle eastern and African countries.
However, despite advance planning, there are a lot of hurdles that hinder such plans and ideas
developed in the framework of climate change negotiations, countries plans were lacking in
certain key areas. For instance, leaders are pushing back phasing out fossil fuels as of course,
even though such idea is greatly beneficial for the Paris agreement, fossil fuel is also the
product that is one of the the main income sources of certain Arab countries particularly Saudi
Arabia. Also, the countries are in a short of funding for other projects to help developing
countries which are one of the great contributors to the global warming as they lack the
resources for machineries that produce less byproducts that cause climate change. As such the
more developed countries had pledge 100 million dollars per country which sadly was short in
funding.

The wealthier countries have agreed to fund the countries which are most vulnerable to
climate change and are also significant contributors to pollution. The estimated funding needed
is about 400 trillion per year which is quite hard for developed countries thus having them to
urge changes in the world bank to help support the developing countries. It is not only that but
ideas to create projects that are not only to help lessen global warming but also generate funds
are agreed to be developed as they are needed since a low carbon global economy is quite
expensive to kick off. One of the said solutions they have come up is to preserve nature as
nature itself to reduce the impact of climate change.

As part of the developing countries, the Philippines will continue to assert its entitlement of
assistance from developed countries as it is a country that is vulnerable to climate change
impact. As part of the countries subject to such assistance, the COP27 has reassured that the
country’s interest shall be in mind. The country is adamant for such support as it is willing to be
participate in COP27’s as one of the biggest platform to address The effects of climate change.
It is also notable that for countries to be able to make the COP’s vision come true, a there is a
lot to sacrifice including the economy of certain countries and the solutions needed to address
the effects of climate change and decrease its causes require huge funding, certain issues also
arise that hinder the achievement of a low carbon global economy.
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