07/11/2022
𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟮𝟳
President Lazarus Chakwera left Malawi on Saturday 5th November 2022 for a week-long trip to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (or COP27 Conference). The trip has drawn negative criticism from most Malawians and people are questioning its significance to the country amid the fuel and forex shortage. Most Malawians are of the view that he should have just sent a Minister and other government officials to represent him. They believe he has more important business in Malawi than in Egypt.
So, what is the COP and why is this Egypt’s landmark climate conference nicknamed African COP important?
𝗖𝗢𝗣
‘COP’ is the formal meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Parties. COP stands for the ‘Conference of the Parties’ – the governing body of an international convention and refers to all the parties involved – including world leaders and heads of state – in the decision-making process of reviewing and putting the rules of the convention into effect.
Since 1995, world leaders, civil society, companies, and activists convene annually to discuss the critical issue of global warming, carbon emissions, and how to tackle climate change. As such these two-week summits are an important space for world leaders, politicians, experts, and a whole host of other people to show commitment and progress towards climate justice and so this year’s COP27 nicknamed African COP is certainly essential especially to Malawi and Africa as a whole.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗢𝗣 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱?
Simply put these meetings are needed for governments/parties to agree on steps to limit global temperature rises (to 1.5C) and discuss the best ways to protect the planet.
𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟮𝟳?
According to COP27 organizers, more than 200 governments were invited to attend COP27 but only about 100 Heads of State and Government were expected to the conference physically. But apart from government officials, these conferences also attract environmental groups, scientists, business leaders, celebrities and journalists, and protesters that attend to demand wealthier governments to speed up and act on their pledges.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗢𝗣 𝟮𝟳 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗶
Africa has suffered huge losses and destruction because of climate change, yet the continent produces less than 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. And Malawi is one of the countries least responsible for causing the climate crisis but definitely suffering the most. You can agree that climate change impacts have been increasingly apparent this year and have adversely impacted Malawi’s food security, water quality, and energy security. Therefore, our participation is not a waste of resources but one way of mobilizing the required finance to help our Country to adapt to climate impacts and compensate for the loss and damage, they cause to our Country.
In Malawi, the resources mobilized for climate-related projects, help the government to provide millions of Malawians (farmers) access to climate-resilient technologies for agriculture, access to water, access insurance against drought or flood as well as help the country to rehabilitate hectares of degraded land and improve the energy sector among others. So far Malawi, as a Country, has benefitted from these conferences but maybe not just to the level we expect.
So, in conclusion, we can say, these conferences are important because they have the potential of addressing Africa and Malawi’s climate, nature, food, and energy crises -BUT ONLY IF developed countries step forward with much more funding as Malawi and Africa expect them to. Otherwise, people will always question their significance.
